


Origins of Truth

by a2h1ey



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Friendship, Gen, NaNoWriMo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-27 06:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 60,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8391148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a2h1ey/pseuds/a2h1ey
Summary: (My entry for NaNoWriMo, starts after Chapter 2: Sadly I didn't reach the goal, but the story continues after Chapter 7 anyways!)Time has become increasingly unstable, affecting Space in a way not many have ever seen before. In this entanglement of Time and Space, two universes which never should have crossed opened mysterious doorways. In one doorway, an orphaned girl named Amber lives peacefully with her Pokemon, but after a close accident, a strange triangular symbol appears on her hand. When she wakes up with her Pokemon in a strange land, she has to help the ones who live there not only save their homes, but fix Time and Space before every universe becomes undone.  (This is a crossover where Pokemon meets Legend of Zelda and vice versa. I do not own anything, except maybe my imagination, and rated PG-13 for mild violence and blood, possibly character death later on, but nothing too graphic.)





	1. Prologue

The moon glinted high above the runes of an ancient, stone building, falling apart from time. The windswept dunes of the desert arched in un-watched rhythm, always staying the same but constantly shifting. The sea of sand lay dormant that night, only with the stars speaking quietly among themselves seemed to be the only ones up that night. In the center of the ruined, terracotta stone building, a ring of high perched staves marked where each clothed figure were perched, silently studying the images before them, each of them glowing an ethreal white in their robes. One of them stood clad in a dark hood, observing the others from the shadows.

"We must do something," a whispery voice finally said in the dark, the figure shrouded by the clouds passing over the moon. The other figures in the circle each mumbled incoherently, deep in their own thoughts. The first figure sighed, shaking their head before looking again at the series of images before them. A round disk floated horizontally in the center of the circle of figures, and from the disk a hazy flash of scenes flitted by, until the images turned to a blur of incoherent noise and color. The disk itself was nothing more than a large circle made completely of luminescent light as the figures held up their robed' hands towards it, pulsing in soft, white energy.

"The Timeline... Is being undone," one of the other figures said, and the others all nodded in agreement. They all stared in silence at the fuzzy images before them, holding their hands up to the glowing disk. After another moment, the first figure sighed, bringing their hand down, the others following suit. Immediately the disk vanished into glowing motes of light, swallowed swiftly by the dark of night.

"It's no use; Time has broken, creating tears in Space as well," the figure looked up at the stars above them as the rest quietly concurred. The sky at night above the desert landscape offered a great view of the heavens above, the stars like observers, watching over the meeting that was taking place.

"Well, what do you want to do? We have very little options, and even those are dwindling as Time goes on," another figure in the group stated. Others mumbled and nodded, turning towards the first figure. It thought about this for a moment, looking at the night sky once more before a thought seemed to struck it.

"As Time and Space are forever intertwined, then we may use Time to shift Space for us," the figure finally said. The others glanced at each other but remained silent as the figure went on. "Time, so tangled in the present, may allow us to bring something else from somewhere else in Space; bring something, or someone, to help our endeavour," the figure explained. They all seemed to ponder this before another figure spoke.

"If we were to bring somebody or something back to help us, how shall we know it is of friendly origin and not foe?" The figure asked, the rest nodding.

"We shall choose only one that is pure of heart, with compassion and kindness, as has been told in legends past, for our own hero will need help in the Time to come," The figure opened it's arms, stretching them upwards to create a floating, prefect triangle made up of three smaller ones, creating a downward pointed triangle-shaped hole in the center, glowing in cool, golden light.

"When Time has come for the chosen to be brought, they will be marked with the symbol of Light," The figure announced, and the others also opened up their hands to the sky. In a flash of light, the six, white robed figures vanished into the dark from their high places above an ancient building, deep in the heart of the desert.

As the lone, black clad figure silently stepped into the night, it looked back once to the place where the small congregation was held, paused, then stepped into a shadow and vanished.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: Hey, everyone! To clear up any confusion about the singing part at the beginning, which I have no idea how to word right, the song is one I made up a while ago, and what Amber's doing is she's adding extra harmony, a bit like a gospel choir, is the best way I can describe it anyways.

Chapter 1:

 

“Alright, let’s try again,” the teacher said with a frustrated sigh. The girl blinked uncomfortably, feeling her face warm up while feeling the burning glares of the other students lined up next to and in front of her. The teacher nodded at the Chatot sitting on top of the music stand, who began to tap a mild tempo. The pianist than took up the tempo, keeping time as he played a nice intro. The teacher raised her hand, then pointed the student’s cue, who all began to sing:

 

When the day has come to an end,  
And the darkness ‘round us close;  
The Light that will never fade in our hearts,  
As the moon shines and glows.

 

As the students sang together, the teacher nodded in approval. But, she knew it all depends on the next part of the song and her one impossible student.

 

For the night will be filled with Light  
And we wander and wait for the dawn;  
Until we see the rising sun  
Of the new day that’s been drawn-

 

Yes! This is it! The teacher thought rejoicingly, but the thought was short lived when she began to hear something she dreaded and feared.

 

And until we meet again- AGAIN!  
The day’s beautiful bright and radiant sun- SUN!

 

The teacher cringed at the loud echoing that took place, then glared at the source of the noise. Now truly mad, she threw the music book onto the piano, cutting everyone short in surprise. The Chatot flapped up, flying a few circles overhead before settling back down again.

 

“Now, Amber,” the Teacher said with her eyes closed, pinching the bridge of her nose as her eyebrows creased. “Why do you keep on insisting to without following along with the group?” She said, the frustration and anger rising in her voice as she stared at the girl impatiently. The sixteen year old girl shifted nervously, keeping her eyes from everyone’s angered faces as she spoke.

 

“Well, I was just singing, but the music was so pretty so I kind of.... Forgot to stay with the group…” She mumbled, shifting her weight on the upper riser, making it creak. The teacher stared at her long and hard, but then sighed in exasperation. As she opened her mouth, the bell rung, signaling the end of the school day.

 

“Alright, how about this: Everyone, there will be a test on Monday on how well you know the music; Amber, you study long and hard the music that is written and try not to make up any extra words or notes!” She said exasperatedly as she walked away. The other students all got up and left, mumbling collectively unhappily, leaving the brown-haired girl alone in the classroom. After the last one left, she sat a moment longer before sighing and getting up.

 

Ugh, why do I keep doing that? She thought, sighing again tiredly, something which seemed to happen more and more often. She picked up her sky-blue backpack and her sketchbook, tucking the pencil behind her ear. As she headed for the door, a pokeball fell out of her bag. When it bounced on the ground, it opened up.

 

A blue-ish silver light appeared from inside the red and white ball, revealing a small blue blob with a squiggly smile. When he saw his trainer walking away, deep in thought, the shiny Ditto quickly transformed into a Greninja, one of his preferred forms, and picked up the pokeball before following after. 

 

When he caught up, the Ditto-turned-Greninja held out the ball. “Gre-greninja!” He said in his usual content and calm voice. Amber stopped when she saw her partner, and her frown melted into a warm smile.

 

“Thank you, Zero,” She said kindly, taking the ball from him. He smiled in return, the two continuing through the school’s hallways and finally out the main doors. As they exited the large building, Amber turned immediately to the right, knowing instinctively which way to go. Zero quickly transformed, now in the form of a Sylveon. He stepped up next to her, wrapping his feelers around her arm, causing her to smile.

 

As the two walked home, Amber thought again of today’s events, inwardly flinching each time she thought of all the mistakes she kept making in choir class. I’m never going to be of much use, am I? She sighed, feeling incredibly guilty. 

 

Noticing his trainer’s pain, Zero looked up at her, thinking. He glanced around at the stores they passed as they continued home, and when he spotted something inside one of the windows, he lit up with an idea. He stopped and tugged on her arm with his feelers.

 

“Sylve-eon!” When she glanced over at her partner, she saw him standing firm in front of the toy store’s window. Confused, she walked back and glanced up at the window’s store front. When she saw what was on display, her face lightened up.

 

“Oh, do you want to get one for Elfear?” She said happily, already knowing the answer, to the Sylveon, now a Nuzleaf. He nodded enthusiastically.

 

“Nuz-nuzleaf!” He followed her into the store, though secretly he was most happy that she was.

 

====

 

“We’re home!” Amber called as she opened the door. Walking inside, she turned on the light. Home sweet home, she thought, leaving the door open to allow Zero in. The run-down apartment was very small, almost cramped. The paint was chipping, and the rug was old and dirty, despite her and the other’s best to keep it clean, with the windows constantly appearing to be grimy. 

 

It had only two rooms beside the main room which the door opened to; Amber’s bedroom which also served as her study, and her Pokemon’s bedroom, which she insisted on despite their protest that they were fine sleeping in the living room, but she wouldn’t have any of it. Thinking her Pokemon always came first, Amber sacrificed what was supposed to be her art and study room so her Pokemon could sleep comfortably at night, which they all were secretly grateful for despite worrying that she never took care of herself.

 

Despite this, they made the little apartment as comfortable as they could. Hanging on the walls were a bunch of wall art, most of them having been made by Amber herself in one of her art classes. Quotes, designed in all sorts of styles and art forms, also appeared across the walls, all of them being inspirational. In one of the corners next to the window, three bookshelves, dirty and old, stood while being filled with books, stacked and placed haphazardly with seemingly random items placed about them.

 

“Monferno!” Zero echoed, having transformed into the fire and fighting-type on the way from the store. The monkey-like Pokemon raced forward into the small apartment, looking back expectantly at the girl. She smiled, humming as she closed the door. Heading into what served as their living and dining room, she walked over to the couch which sat in front of the tv which was turned off. 

 

“Hey, Elfear! Sorry we’re late, we stopped by at-Elfear?” She looked around, but the room appeared to be empty. Zero looked around, then headed for one of two rooms that served as Amber’s study room. The door was half-opened, and the Monferno carefully opened it up. Peering inside, Zero looked around and spotted the familiar blue, frayed cloth hanging out of the chair. 

 

“Mon, monferno,” He quietly called to Amber, still keeping the door partly closed. When she walked over, he pointed at the blue cloth that appeared to be hanging from the chair. Upon seeing it, Amber blinked, then sighed in relief. She quietly opened the door, and stepped silently towards the sleeping Honedge on her chair, sitting in his scabbard. Picking it up gently, she walked back into the small hallway, Zero close behind. 

 

She then turned and went into the Pokemon’s room, placing the ghost and steel type onto a large, cushiony pillow. She then carefully and slowly pulled the scabbard off, doing it as softly as possible to keep him from waking. When it was about half-way off, she checked the Honedge’s blade, peering worriedly at the long, deep crack that cut across the middle. Remembering how it got there, she flinched in guilt, gently replacing the scabbard. Zero, watching silently, looked at his trainer in worry.

 

As she left, she quietly placed the small bag from the store onto the ground beside the door before gently closing it shut. Sighing a slow, sad sigh, she glanced down and saw with a jolt the worried expression on the Monferno’s face. Seeing him, she smiled as cheerfully as she could muster. 

 

“Come on, let’s let Elfear rest some more. Nurse Joy said he should be fine in a day or two, but till then he needs his rest. Now, I saw that Journey to the Center of the Earth is on tonight; do you want to watch with me while we wait for Reve to get back?” She said excitedly. Seeing her smile once more, Zero nodded enthusiastically. As they sat on the couch, the girl tucked in her legs and laid down sideways as he jumped up, changing form into a Furret.

 

===

 

By the time they heard the doorbell ring, the Furret and the girl both were deeply absorbed as the main characters came into contact with Pokemon that have been extinct for a very long time, including a Tyrantrum and a group of Carracosta. 

 

“Coming!” Amber said, walking to the door. Zero popped his head up curiously from the couch as she opened the door. Almost immediately, something burst from the door, tackling her to the ground. Zero leaned down, trying to see what happened, but his long body caused him to lose balance, ending with him on the floor.

 

“Wa-wait! Bastion, stop; it tickles!” Amber cried out, wiggling underneath the green Bagon. He just smiled and yipped in his happy voice, hugging her as best as his stubby arms can do. Finally, the girl sat up with the shiny Bagon still in her arms. From the doorway, a laugh was heard, causing the girl to look up.

 

“Man, Bastion sure missed you, huh?” The other girl said with a smile, her corn-yellow hair accenting her green eyes. Upon seeing her, Amber smiled and stood up, holding the little Dragon-type in one arm. 

 

“Melody! What a great surprise. I thought Daniel would have been the one to bring Bastion back from the Daycare,” Amber said happily, hugging her old friend. Melody laughed happily, hugging right back.

 

“Yeah, well, Daniel has his hands full right now with a Seviper and Zangoose that just won’t get along. Anyways, I have to get going, but how about we meet up together sometime? My treat,” She said, winking. Amber smiled brightly, nodding her head.

 

“Yeah, sounds like a plan! See you later!” She waved at her old childhood friend.

 

“Yeah, bye!” Melody called, walking down the stairs and outside.

 

As she watched her friend go, Amber suddenly felt something she’s been feeling a lot lately, but could never place it. Loneliness? Uselessness? Hopelessness? Knowing it was pointless to think about it, she closed the door to find Bastion and Zero running around, playing tag. Seeing the two, Amber felt her heart warm a bit, smiling.

 

“Alright, you two! It’s ate, so you two should head to bed,” Amber told them, picking up the Bagon and Furret. They both smiled and giggled, making her roll her eyes. Walking over to their room, she gently placed them down. “Now, you two better not make any fuss for Elfear, got it?” She warned half-heartedly, trying to act stern but failing as her natural smile broke through. The two nodded, and satisfied with the answer, she gently closed the door and went to her room.

 

Inside, she threw off her clothes and slipped on her pajamas. Then, sitting at the desk, she turned the lamp on and took out her project papers for school. Looking at the clock, it read 11:20 PM. If I get these done by 1, I can still get at least five hours of sleep, she thought. Determination setting in, she hunkered down and began to furiously write.

 

In the Pokemon’s bedroom, Zero and Bastion played a bit longer before tiredness began to set in. The entire time, Elfear lay on the pillow, asleep. As the two went to their own separate cushions that they liked to serve as their beds, Zero noticed the light filtering in from across the hall. Curious, he left the other two to sleep while he used his Furret form to quietly sneak and open Amber’s bedroom door. 

 

She was still at her desk, but was completely asleep. He glanced at the clock, reading 1:30. Shaking his head, he walked inside, transforming into a Greninja. Carefully, he picked her up, holding her in a princess cradle, which wasn't hard considering he was much bigger and stronger than most normal Greninja. He gently laid her on the bed, still asleep, and pulled the blanket over her. She turned, snuggling into her blanket with a content sigh.

 

Satisfied that she was taken care of, he quietly closed the door and headed back to the other room when something caught his eye. Turning, he looked into the dark living room, having the feeling that something was different. Now on his guard, Zero crept up to the corner of the hallway, peering out just enough to see, but there wa nothing there.

 

Confused, he stepped out, looking around. A cold wind blew, and when he looked up again, one of the windows was opened, letting cold, night air inside. The Greninja closed the storm, but noticed something on the ground. Picking it up, he immediately recognized it as a key, but a very old and rusted key. Looking around, her had no idea where it came from or why it was there. But sleepiness won the battle, and deciding that it’s best to wait till tomorrow, he placed it on the couch’s arm before wobbling back to the bedroom.

 

As he went, however, a pair of eyes observed the scene before blinking and disappearing into the night.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty slow chapter, since it mainly just tells how Amber goes about her morning, but I felt it was necessary to lay down some general themes that will reflect later on in the story. (This is also a combination of the original Chapters two and three, to make it easier)

The quiet morning slowly came into being, the sun creeping out from behind the horizon. It’s rays filtered through the dusty window, falling in cascades onto the sleeping girl’s face. Getting the light in her eyes, she squeezed them shut before slowly blinking awake, her chocolate wavy hair falling across her deep, brown eyes. Yawning, she stretched out her hands, moving her blue blanket away, rubbing the sleepiness from her half-lidded eyes. Her blue pajamas, ruffled from rolling around in her sleep, were covered with pictures of cute drawings of Dialga, the colors mostly having faded from years of use. Still tired, Amber glanced about her room.

 

The room was very run-down as the rest of the apartment was, barely holding together. The walls were covered in stains, the white paint having faded to a pale tan, slowly peeling off. The two bookshelves, identical in color and shape, were both covered in reading materials, a few precious items scattered about on the stuffed shelves, all covered in dust that seemed to constantly permeate through the air despite her best efforts to keep the room clean. Her bed was little more than a mattress with a small blanket being used as cover, her own blanket, a well-worn gift from years past, were ruffled with holes starting to form, but she used the small needle-and-thread kit in her desk’s drawers to fix them as best as she could, which wasn’t that great but just enough. The two plastic and cheap baskets that held her clean and dirty clothes respectively were bending at the sides from constant usage. Her small desk, one of the few precious possessions from her previous life, was usually covered in papers, strewn about in disarray as she constantly shifted through them all, but for some reason not today.

 

Glancing down, she looked at the bed she sat on, than the small, wooden desk, the chair tucked underneath with the usually chaotic papers stacked neatly. When did I get in my bed? I could have sworn I was finishing my homework before… She paused, thinking hard, but everything she did late last night was one big blur. Shaking her head in defeat, she sighed as she got up. She stretched up as high as her arms could reach as she yawned one more time, which was surprisingly high for someone five-foot eight. She patted her cheeks, and once she felt a bit more awakened, she carefully refolded her blanket, smoothing out the greyish-white blanket underneath. 

 

Heading to the tiny bathroom, she stopped next to her dear Pokemon’s room. The white, dirty wooden door was closed, and she gently placed one, lightly tanned hand on the knob. Opening it as slowly and quietly as possible, she looked inside, a bit wary before she saw a sight that made her heart warm. Bastion was curled on top of a Snorlax, both sound asleep. Elfear lay on a large fluffy pillow nearby, still sleeping as well, his scabbard leaning up slightly. 

 

Before she closed the door again, Amber looked around the room to make sure all was well inside the tiny room. The many cushiony pillows, all having been bought on discount from a thrift store, were well-worn, faded from their various, originally vibrant colors. They lay strewn on the ground, the majority lining the walls. The two windows inside the room were draped with two very different curtains, one thick and rough, a dark maroon, with the other being almost completely see-through, swirling designs decorating it, both covered in the constant dust. 

 

Satisfied, she reclosed the door before glancing at her watch she kept constantly on hand. The band was a light blue with fluffy clouds scattering across, Swablus dotting it. The watch itself was in the shape of an Altaria, the fluffy wing surrounding the clock. The waterproof and very well made watch was covered in cracks and was clearly very old, a miracle that it still ticked. Five-thirteen; I have to leave soon, Amber thought, watching the watch’s face for a moment. The second hand ticked away, always keeping time with the minute and hour hands slowly catching up. 

 

Heading towards the bathroom, she stepped inside. It was as rundown as the rest of the apartment, the light overhead glowing a stark yellow, making it seem like her skin was a sickly shade of yellow. The shower was very small, nothing more than a tiny stall with a drain on the floor. The toilet was the average size, but covered in rust on the bottom and dirty streaks around the base that just wouldn’t come off no matter how much Amber scrubbed at it.

 

As she looked into the greasy, rectangular mirror that hung above the sink, it reflected back a teenage girl with a weary, tired face, yet strikingly bright and observant eyes, but she quickly turned away from it. Reaching for it, she opened the mirror to reveal a tiny medicine cabinet behind it. She grabbed the well-used blue toothbrush and tightly rolled up toothpaste. Turning the sink on, she squeezed out a small drop from the toothpaste, but even after she rolled it up all the way, only a tiny bit came out. 

 

Have to get new toothpaste later, she sighed inwardly as she dropped the empty toothpaste tube inside the tiny wastebin next to the sink. Habitually she put the toothbrush to run under the tiny stream of water, then turned it off as she began to brush her teeth. Making sure to brush all around, she glanced again at the watch. 

 

Five-eighteen, she thought, spitting out the minty paste. Turning the water on again, she rinsed out her mouth. Picking up the tiny bar of soap, she rubbed her hands on it till they were foamy, then slathered it all over her face. Once she deemed them to be soapy enough, she rinsed off her face, quickly turning the water off again.

 

Walking out of the bathroom, she dried her face off onto her pajama sleeves. Walking back into her room, she swiftly tossed her pajamas off, then reached into the clean clothes basket and pulled out a fresh new pair of shorts and t-shirt. She laid them on top of her bed, looking at her choice for a moment before efficiently throwing them on. The shirt was a leafy green, with white writing on over various, painted streaks of blue paint, reading ‘By the Ocean Shore’ in fancy script. The shorts were a pair of white, baggy shorts, reaching down to her knees. Putting them on, she wrestled with her tangled hair into a decent ponytail, and headed to the main living room. There, she grabbed her socks from yesterday, putting them on along with her old, beaten pair of faded and dirty blue sneakers.

 

She rushed into the tiny little sliver of space that was used as their kitchen, marked by the change from dirty carpet to dusty tile, grabbing her favorite and only jacket and tied it around her waist. Now really rushing, she opened the tiny fridge to hastily, banging the door on the wall, flinching from the loud sound. Shaking her head, she quickly recovered and looked inside. The fridge was almost completely empty, except for a few plastic lunch boxes that were neatly stacked to the side, a large container of various berries. and a boxy full of handmade poke blocks she made the day before in cooking class. 

 

Picking up one of the containers, she heard a sleepy yawn and turned, looking upon a tired looking Piplup, Bastion staggering in behind with his green head drooping. Amber smiled when she saw them, picking up the Bagon and Piplup in each of her arms. 

 

“I’m sorry, guys. I tried not to wake you, but I guess that didn’t work out too well, huh?” She told the two of them, carrying them out to the living room and placing them gently onto the couch. In response, Zero opened his beak in a yawn, Bastion falling in suit as they blinked hazily. The girl smiled at the two of them, giving them a small pat.

 

Moving back to her room, picking up a piece of paper and turning it onto the back to write a small note. As she left, she paused, glancing at her desk. Opening one of the two drawers, she rummaged through the mismatched items inside before her hand fell onto a small box. Picking it up, she opened the grey, velvet-like jewelry box to reveal a pendant inside, one that completely unmatched the rest of the apartment. 

 

The pendant was made entirely of stainless steel with silver inlay with a single, tiny gem. It was in the shape of a graceful winter Sawsbuck, it’s front hoof up as it appears to look off into the distance. The white tufts were carefully intertwined with beautiful swirls of silver, and where the eye was supposed to be was replaced with a small, clear blue gem. As she held it in her hands thoughtfully, the gem seemed to twinkle with it’s own light, almost as if to say ‘everything will be okay.’ 

 

Amber grabbed her lanyard with her keys and pendants dangling from it, then carefully hooked the Sawsbuck pendant on there as well. The lanyard was old and frayed, once having been green and blue but as with the rest of her possessions, the color had faded from years of use. The little attachments to it were of three keys, each one for a different use, and one rusted keyring of a Bulbasaur she had received for her birthday many years back. 

 

As she left the room, she checked once more that everything was in it’s place before closing the door. Out in the living room, Zero and Bastion were play, Zero now having turned into a Glameow as Bastion tried fruitlessly to grab the spiral tail. 

 

“Alright, guys! I’m going out to work, and all of you better be ready when I come back,” She told the two of them. They paused from their antics, giving her a confused look. Sighing, she rolled her eyes with a small smile on her face. “Remember? Today’s Saturday, so we’re hiking up Mount Moon!” She declared triumphantly. At the words, the two of them happily started to jump around in joy.

 

As she went out, she smiled warmly as they continued to rejoice, her lunchbox in her hands. Finally, today’s the day! Three month’s worth of saving up finally leads to this moment, she thought excitedly, now sprinting up a bit to get to her work quickly for it to end sooner.

===

"Thank you, come again!" Amber called, waving happily at the leaving customers. When they left, she dropped her hand, sighing tiredly But, just then, a large clock on the wall binged thrice, signaling that it was three o'clock. Amber felt her heart leap for joy, energy coursing through her veins again as she rushed to the back of the restaurant.

The small restaurant, barely big enough to earn it's name, served many kinds of food. As she swept to head to the door leading to the worker's room, she passed by the painting-covered walls, all of them various beachside scenes. A few pieces of art were scattered about, including an abstract, rainbow colored Kingdra, and a marble Dragalge.

She pushed open the door, stepping into the staff's room. There, she turned left right into a hallway that lead to the girl's changing rooms. Quickly getting inside, she hastily took off the dressy blue shirts and pants, throwing on her regular clothes. Saying quick goodbyes to the other girl's, she left the restaurant onto the small street nearby, though small would be an understatement.

A large highway cut right by the restaurant, with large buildings surrounding it on all sides, each made of red brick with brick sidewalks, giving the entire place a classy feel. As she sped-walked down the sidewalk, she checked her watch.

Three twenty. Coming to one of the few intersections she always faced on the walk home, she impatiently waited, anxious to get home. Once she cleared all of the intersections, she sprinted the last leg to the large, rundown apartment building. Racing to her apartment's door, she picked up one of the keys that hung from jingling lanyard and unlocked the door. Bursting in, she paused to catch her breath.

"I'm… I'm home!" She finally said breathlessly, leaning in the doorway before closing it shut behind her. Almost immediately, a green form came charging at her, and she only had barely enough time to catch the Bagon, staggering a bit.

"Ba-bagon!" He said happily, hugging as best as he could as he leaned against her shoulder. Amber smiled warmly, hugging him close.

"I'm happy to see you to, Bastion!" She cheerfully said, walking into the house with the Bagon still in her arms. She gently placed him onto the couch with a warm smile. Before she could turn to go into the small kitchen area, she heard two distinct sounds behind her. Turning, a dark-colored Honedge floated towards her, his blade glinting a bright red beneath his scabbard. Next to him, a Buizel waddling forward. When they stopped in front of her, the orange ferret-like Pokemon morphed into back into a blue Ditto. Upon seeing the two of them, Amber smiled brightly.

"Hello, Zero! And Elfear," She said, picking up the Honedge gently by the scabbard, "It's wonderful that you're awake! How are you feeling?" The ghost-and-steel type made his usual clings, his eye closed in a way that made it seem like he was smiling. When she saw this, Amber smiled back, gently placing him down. He bobbed up and down as he levitated gently.

"Now, are you guys ready to go on our little hiking trip?" Amber asked, excitement rising in her tone and face. The three of them all shared her excitement as they yelled back in what could be concluded to be a definite 'Yeah!'

Happy that they were all just excited as herself, Amber walked into her room, picking up the backpack that lay next to the bed along with a good-sized messenger bag. Putting the messenger bag on first left over her neck for the handle to rest on her right, which was pretty heavy, she struggled a bit as she lifted the backpack. Before she could also put it on, she suddenly felt it being pulled out of her hands. Turning around, a Greninja stood behind her, taking the well-worn bag and putting it on.

"Oh, why thank you, Zero," Amber said gratefully. The Greninja turned around, allowing for her to tighten the straps, humming away. After she was done, she inspected her work, then nodded in satisfaction. She then leaned forward, unzipping it quickly to make sure everything was there while Zero waited patiently.

Inside, a bunch of different Pokemon based items were carefully stored on top of the extra clothes she had packed. A small container held a handful of evolutionary stones, including a Dusk, Thunder, and a Fire stone. A few Super Potions were also inside, along with the two boxes of berries and Poke-Blocks. Inside also lay a tiny boxy which held a Salamencite, the precious Mega Stone having been a gift from her father when she was nine when she first got the Bagon egg which hatched into Bastion, and Amber always kept the Mega Band safe with her. A few revives were also inside, along with a tiny bag containing only three Rare Candy. Happy that everything's in place, she held a thumb's up to her partner.

"Greninja," He simply stated, marching out of the room with the old backpack strapped to his back, the girl closely following behind. In the living room, Bastion and Elfear were lounging on the couch, having turned on the tv while waiting for the two.

"Alright, guys! Let's get going!" Amber told them all. The Bagon and Honedge both jumped from the couch, the Bagon pausing to turn off the tv. Amber opened the door, allowing the three of them to exit before her. When Zero came out last, she reached in and turned off the lights, closing the door. As she locked it with her keys, she suddenly had a feeling she wouldn't see this apartment again for a long time. Shaking her head, she followed the three of them out to the front of the apartment building, waiting for her.

"Right, for now we have to head to the train station," Amber nodded to the tall building in the distance. Even from here, the small group could hear the sound of trains pulling in and out of the station. She pulled out Bastion's and Elfear's pokeballs, recalling them back inside. "You two relax inside there till we get on the train, alright?" She told the two as she and Zero started towards the station.

"Thank you!" Amber told the lady, who waved goodbye before turning to the next one in line. She held up the four tickets,having bought one for each of them. She turned to her partner, finding he decided to change into a Lucario, easily carrying the backpack, but she till worried anyways, since they stood in line for almost an hour.

"Zero, if it's getting heavy, you could just give it to me, you know," Amber told him. The Lucario glanced at her, then hefted the bag even higher, puffing out his chest proudly. She almost laughed when she saw him do this, but stifled it, knowing he was trying to show off. As they made their way through the busy terminal, Amber scanned around, looking for the right passage.

"Ah, there!" She pointed to a blue dot that was marked "Blue Line Train". The two pushed their way through the busy crowd, and when they made it to the stop they decided to wait at one of the many large pillars. Amber sat down on the ground, knowing it might take a bit, while Zero opted to lean against, arms crossed with one foot against it.

As the minutes ticked by, Amber felt herself growing more and more tired, the day's rush slowly fading from her. But before she could fall asleep completely, she felt a nudge on her shoulder. Looking up groggily, Zero had a paw on her shoulder, pointing ahead.

"Luc, lucario," He said. When Amber saw the train coming to a stop, she sprang up.

"Thanks, Zero! Come on, we have to get on or we'll have to wait for the next one!" She yelled over the noise of the station. The two of them joined the crowd that gathered in front of the train, and when the doors opened, they made their way through the pushing and shoving of everyone trying to get on. At last, they were able to board safely, but in the crowded train Zero stayed close to Amber as they made up the rows to their seats. Amber plopped down into one of them, Zero formally sitting next to her, placing the backpack into the hanger above them.

The train seats were arranged so that for every window, two seats faced left and two seats faced right, though they were more like booths than seats. The cushions on them were flattened from having been sat on my passengers, but they still remained pretty comfortable to sit on. As Zero lounged on the seat still transformed as a Greninja, Amber reached into her messenger bag and pulled out two pokeballs. In a flash of light, Bastion and Elfear emerged.

"Ba-bagon!" Bastion jumped up to the squarish window, putting his small hands up to it as the world went racing by. Elfear joined him, floating slightly higher to get a better view as the train began to leave the city behind them. Zero sat where he was, arms crossed as he also looked outside. Looking at the three of them enjoying themselves to be out of that tiny apartment, Amber couldn't be happier.

Reaching into her messenger bag, she pulled out a small Mp3 player and portable headphones she got as a combined birthday present from her friends at the restaurant. Plugging in the headphones, she turned it on. Scrolling through the few songs on it, she clicked on one of her favorites, and began to hum along as she, too, looked out the window.

-What would happen if we try?

Could we spread our wings and learn to fly?

And together we could see

That the world is ours; We could shine like stars:

We can dream-


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bastion and Elfear are left to their own devices, but trouble falls upon them as they play...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is the first chapter written for NaNoWriMo! Let the word count begin~
> 
> Word Count: 4412

“Now stopping at Moon station,” The intercom announced overhead. Amber put away her Mp3 player, putting it away after she folded her headphones for easier storage. Zero, now a Bisharp, grabbed the backpack from the overhang. As she got up, Amber took out two pokeballs and pointed them at the shiny Bagon and Honedge, both fast asleep. They disappeared into the balls with a flash of light, and as she tucked them back into the messenger bag she turned to Zero.

 

“Ready to go?” She asked her long-time, faithful partner. The Bisharp grunted, which was as close to a very excited ‘Yeah!’ that was going to come from him in his current form. Amber struck out, waiting in line with the Bisharp next to her, the backpack on his back once again. Finally, after waiting for the slow line of people to move out of the train, the girl stepped onto the platform of Moon Station, Zero right next to her. 

 

In all reality, the station was much like the one back home, and just standing at the platform would have made her thinking they were back home, except the mountains rising mightily in the distance instead of the familiar buildings gave it away. The mountains were incredibly big, rising like purple giants. The biggest one, however, rose behind them, and as the train went on it’s way, the mountain came into perfect view.

 

Mount Moon, Amber thought, the excitement rising once again. She looked at Zero, her eyes alit with excitement for the trek ahead. “Ready?” She asked him, though she already knew the answer.

 

“Bish,” He answered back, nodding his head. Amber turned back to the mountain, more than ready for the hike. She quickly walked off the platform and stopped at the mouth of the station, facing the mountain, preparing for the challenge ahead. Zero stopped next to her, glancing up at his trainer. A determined look crossed her face. 

 

“Right, let’s go!” She pointed to the mountain, starting forward with the Zero right beside her.

 

===

 

“Yes, and when you get to the Ranger’s station, go up this trail here…” The lady pointed to the tiny trail on the map. Amber nodded, looking studying it closely with Zero, now a Fletchling watching over her shoulder. “After that, you should come to the waterfall right here, which is the perfect camping spot,” The elderly woman said, pointing to where a stream makes a sort of bumpy pattern on the map. Amber nodded as she took it back, Zero taking to flight.

 

“Thank you!” She waved as she made her way up to the Ranger’s station. The woman smiled and waved back before going back into the small house. As she trekked up a trail that slowly became more steep by the moment, Zero flew around in circles before shiting his form, now a Pidgeotto. As they climbed up, the trees slowly shifted from a completely deciduous forest of oaks to a diverse one, with evergreen’s popping up more frequently the higher they climbed. At last, after about an hour up the trail, Zero flew around Amber, indicating that the Ranger’s station was up ahead.

 

Soon enough, she spotted the lone building deep in the woods, starkingly white against the lush green and brown of the surrounding forest. As she approached the building, shifting the weight of both the backpack and messenger bag, Zero dived down, slowing down at the last second to transform into a Persian. The feline-like Pokemon rubbed against her leg, making her break into a smile and pat her head before heading into the building. 

 

Inside, the building looked like any visitor’s center, a waiting room in the front with cushioned benches lined against the wall, the floors and walls completely stark white. Next to the counter was a stand full of brochures and guides about Mount Moon, each one being different but exactly the same. 

 

Amber walked up to the counter, her lanyard tinkling with each step, Zero slinking next to her with deadly grace. The man at the desk looked up at her approach, dressed in the normal Ranger’ outfit, with a red jacket and shorts, a beret on top of his head with a black shirt and shorts, his capture tool hanging at his belt. Nearby, a napping Shinx lay curled on top of the counter, presumably the Ranger’s partner, who blinked sleepily at the visitors, but upon seeing them yawned and stretched, falling back asleep.

 

“Welcome to the Ranger station of Mount Moon! How can I help you?” He said with a friendly smile. Amber smiled back in return, pulling out her map. 

 

“Hello! Yeah, um, I have a few questions about…” She and the Ranger went off discussing the details of the map. As they conversed, Zero looked around the room casually when something caught his eyes. Padding forward in his agile body, he headed towards a bulletin board covered in missing signs. As he neared, he transformed into a Blaziken to see them better.

 

The entire bulletin board was covered in the missing fliers and pamphlets, stretching all across the past ten years. But despite the many different pictures of both people and Pokemon, one picture caught his eyes. Leaning his feathered head in for a closer look, there was no mistake about it.

 

According to the date on the flier, April twelfth, it was taken very recently. The picture was in full color, a clear image with a caption underneath it. The picture was of a round sphere, not perfectly spherical, but almost elliptical. It was a sunshine yellow, and the bottom half was crowned in black. The caption read “Missing: Pichu Egg. Call the following if found.” Zero looked at the picture curiously, reading the description, but he didn’t have time to think much on it as a voice jolted him from his thoughts. 

 

“Sad, isn’t it?” Zero turned around, Amber standing behind him. She was putting away her map as she looked sadly at all the pictures of those who were lost. Sighing, she shook her head in what was true sadness, nothing fake in her eyes. Then, seeming to jump from her thoughts, she turned back to the Blaziken, her eyes lit up once more.

 

“Are you ready to go?” He nodded, and as the two left, Amber waved farewell to the Ranger as Zero took one last look at the bulletin board before heading out into the sunshine.

 

===

 

“Come on, we’re almost there!” Amber waved at the Ursaring, who was lumbering along carrying both the messenger bag and backpack with ease, the sound of rushing water slightly drowning her out. He grunted in return as the girl looked around at the view. It was even more magnificent than the elderly woman said earlier that day. 

 

The waterfall was nothing that grand, little more than a stream that met a cliff that had only about a ten meter drop, but the sight from where the waterfall was breathtaking. A small clearing surrounded the edge of the waterfall, and the clearing also extended to below where the cliff was, creating a window out to the distance with trees framing either side. The setting sun lit the sky ablaze in oranges and pinks with the fluffy clouds seeming to glow golden, the sun low on the horizon almost behind the mountains that lined the edge of the horizon. When it hit the waterfall’s sprays, it created a magnificent sight of a constant, beautiful rainbow.

 

Sighing contently, she sat in the clearing. Zero ambled up to her, carefully placing the bags onto the ground as Amber smiled her thanks, leaning on his furry body as she let out Elfear and Bastion. They both marveled at the sight, though as always the green Bagon was much more open about his feelings than the Honedge. Though Amber would have just loved to sit and watch the sunset on that cliff forever, as the sun began to slowly sink lower she knew she had to set up camp before t was completely dark out.

 

“Alright, up we go!” She muttered more to herself, heaving herself up onto her feet, though wobbling a bit. She then turned to her messenger bag and pulled out a neatly folded tarp. She unfolded it, taking out the thin, black nylon rope and small stakes. Having done this many times in her life, she expertly pitched up the tent in one go. As she worked, Bastion and Elfear were collecting firewood, the Honedge chopping up fallen sticks with his good side of his blade while the Bagon collected them and brought them back to camp. Once they deemed to have collected enough, Zero turned into a Pyroar, igniting the wood with a single burst of fire. Amber helped them collect big stones to keep the fire encased, and when they were finished she looked at their work.

 

The tent, an aqua blue, was pitched in the center of the small clearing next to the rambling stream, the flap facing the edge so when they woke up, they could get a beautiful view of the valley. The fire was closeby, but a safe distance from anything that might catch. Satisfied with their work, Amber nodded proudly.

 

“Alright, guys. I think it’s about time we had some dinner, don’t you think?” She looked at them all in turn, who all enthusiastically agreed. Amber nodded, humming as she reached for the backpack. Opening it, she reached inside and grabbed the plastic container holding the many berries. Opening the container, she started to take out a handful of berries, putting them in front of the awaiting Pokemon. Bastion and Elfear didn’t hesitate, munching away at the berries with very happy expressions.

 

“Do you like them? I bought them at the market yesterday,” Amber said, as the Bagon and Honedge made very happy sounds. She placed more in front of Zero, now a Greninja again. Unlike the other two who just stuffed their mouths, he picked up one at a time, popping it into his mouth with a content face.

 

“Gren-greninja,” He said happily before throwing another berry into his mouth. Amber smiled warmly at them, happy to see they were happy. She picked up a few berries, munching on their juicy sweetness as well. The happy four all ate their berries in peace, the sun having finally set with only twinkling, shining dust that blanketed the sky and the warm glow of the little dancing fire. As they finished up, Amber sighed contentedly, not having eaten such delicious fruit in a long while, always giving them to the others despite their protests for her to have some.

 

“Alright, now let’s put this awa-” She began to say, but a noise behind her cut her short. Zero immediately came on guard along with Elfear, Bastion glancing curiously as he continued to eat the last of his berries. But, to their relief and surprise, only a frightened Zangoose and Buneary appeared, the brown Pokemon glancing at the group. Upon seeing them, Amber blinked in surprise, but it quickly melted into a warm and kind smile.

 

“Hello there! Would you like some?” She held out a few berries in her hand as the others all relaxed, glancing only curiously at the duo. The black-banded ferret-like Pokemon glanced at the brown-bunny Pokemon, both trepidatious, but when they saw Amber’s kind eyes, they knew they had nothing to fear.

 

Still, they cautiously approached the group. When they were in reach of the berries still in Amber’s hands, they quickly grabbed then retreated into the bush. A few rustling sounds later, they popped their heads back up in the brush, both munching happily at the berries. Amber watched happily as she put away the berries. When it came time to hit the sack, the group waved at the Zangoose and Buneary who both waved back before heading back into the forest. She turned to the three, who all yawned sleepily, knowing it was time to go to bed.

 

“Alright, guys, I think it’s about time to go to bed, don’t you?” She asked, picking up the green Bagon and cradling him in her arms. He yawned and blinked sleepily, slowly falling asleep in her arms. She turned to Zero, who yawned and transformed into a Snorlax, one of his favorite forms when he sleeps. She gently laid Bastion on top of him, who immediately curled up into a ball, then turned to Elfear, but he simply stuck his Scabbard in the soft, rich ground.

 

Happy that all of them have fallen asleep comfortably, Amber laid down on her stomach inside the tent, facing the open flap after she got changed into her Dialga pajamas. Crossing her arms, she rested her head, looking at the night sky scattered with adoring stars, winking at her. As sleep slowly overtook her exhausted body, the stress from the past month slowly leaving her, she hummed a faint tune she knew from her childhood.

 

-As the days does fade into dusk  
And we have lost our way;  
Don’t be afraid my dear child,   
As the the moon leads the way to the dawn…-

 

===

 

The next morning, Amber woke to the sound of chattering teeth and shivers, thundering booms, and the fwish of rain. Blinking, she sat up straight. In a daze with her mind still hazed as it slowly awoke, she glanced outside, the flap of the tent still open from last night.

 

The clouds had grown thicker through the night, gorging themselves on the vapor of a late spring night before they grew too full, dumping all the heavy rain onto the mountain range below. The sky, dark grey with the stormy morning, occasionally flashed with spiteful vengeance, thundering it’s discontent. The small stream now roared, the rain making the stream run thicker. The cool water slowly and steadily pounded lightly onto the tent, making them ring louder for the girl inside, long having put out the small fire to create an ashen sludge. As she fully awaken, something immediately caught her attention.

 

“Bastion; Elfear, Zero!” Amber leaned forward, picking up the three. They must have awoken in the night when the rain was at it’s worst, for the three of them were soaked. Bastion shivered, his eyes closed as he leaned into the warmth of Amber’s embrace. Elfear was just as soaked, but being steel type had it’s advantages as he only shook the water off from his purple cloth that hung from the hilt. Zero, having transformed into a Cinccino, opened his eyes at her, soaking wet and shivering like a leaf. 

 

“You guys are soaked! You must have been out there for a while before coming in; Why didn’t you just awoken me? There’s plenty of room in the tent,” Amber worriedly scolded the three, quickly taking out a towel from her backpack. She dried the Bagon first, rubbing his body down as his shivering slowly stopped. Zero sneezed a little.

 

“Cin-Cinccino, no.” He said, his shivering making his words cut sporadically from his clattering teeth. Amber, now drying off Elfear who looked increasingly uncomfortable from being waterlogged, glared caringly at him.

 

“I don’t care if I was sleeping! You should have told me, sleeping or not,” She finished drying the Honedge’s cloth taper, both him and Bastion looking much better and happier. She turned to him, but as she reached over to dry him off, a cold wind slithered in through the open flap, causing her to shiver in her pajamas and inadvertently sneeze. Seeing this, Zero glanced at her, then transformed.

 

“Ugh, maybe I should have bought a coat for this crazy mountain weather…” Amber muttered, rubbing her nose as she glanced at the rain, which didn’t look like it was going to let up anytime soon. She turned back, ready to dry her partner. 

 

“Alright, Zero. You’re turn-” But Zero wasn’t a small Cinccino anymore. He was now a large Charizard, having to bend over to fit inside the tent. His tailed moved to be in the center of the tent, and with a snort the flame grew. The fire and flying type breathed out a greatly reduced Heat Wave, but it was still strong enough to immediately warm up inside the tent which was already becoming war from the heat of his tail. Surprised at first, Amber smiled gratefully as Bastion and Elfear sat near the flame, enjoying the warmth.

 

“Thanks so much, Zero,” She leaned against his large, orange body, slowly relaxing. The dragon-like Pokemon growled softly, sitting in a more comfortable position. The four of them spent the rest of the morning lounging inside the tent, Bastion and Elfear taking turns of getting the pleasure of sitting on Amber’s lap as she told a few stories, mainly from her childhood, played a few games to pass the time, but mostly she just sang. She sang all types of songs, from ones that were soft and gentle to ones that were if strength and truth. Some spoke of peace and wonder while others verified might and courage. As she sang, the rain slowly began to light up, till about noon the sun finally began to break through the turbulent clouds. The four of them all stuck their heads out of the flap, looking at the glistening world.

 

“Hmm, can you feel it?” Amber closed her eyes, a gentle breeze rustling her hair as the sun shone warm and bright on her face. The four stepped out, Bastion and Elfear rushing out to play while Zero turned into a Greninja, standing by her. She gazed around, then glanced at the rushing stream, heavy with rainfall.

 

“Be careful, you two! The stream is really turbulent right now, so don’t get too close!” Amber shouted at the two Pokemon. In response, Bastion stopped and jumped for a moment before running back to fruitlessly try and catch the much faster Honedge. She shook her head, then turned to the Greninja.

 

“So, I’m going back to the Ranger’s station to ask somethings before our big hike. You can either stay here or come with me, if you want to,” She explained to him, going back inside the tent to quickly get changed into her other pair of clothes she brought with her. Zero hummed a reply, sitting outside the tent as he waited for her. After a few moments, she reappeared with a fresh set of clothes, a pair of tan colored shorts that are similar to her white one’s and a blue t-shirt that had the outline of a Phanpy on it, the red marks making it a clear distinction from the rest of the shirt. 

 

“Alright, let’s go,” She said, Zero already heading towards the small trail which was now a small stream of mud. She paused to yell at the two Pokemon, now far upstream.

 

“Me and Zero are heading to the Ranger’s station for a bit! Be careful till we get back!” She turned to Zero, who nodded as the two made their way down the trail. Meanwhile…

 

===

 

“Elfear! What do you want to do till Amber and big brother get back?” Bastion jumped around the Honedge. He seemed to think for a few moments, then made a few of the clinking sounds that served as his form of speech.

 

“Don’t know? Hmm…” The shiny Bagon glanced about, turning around. The woods extended what could easily have been eternity, massive trees surrounding the small Pokemon. The river roared loudly as it rushed onwards, finally toppling over the cliff before continuing on undaunted below. He waddled to the river side, glancing at what once have been the banks of the river, but the river had cut the size, half of the bank now underwater. Seeing the smooth rocks on the bank, the Bagon leaned in closely.

 

“Klnk-clnk!” Elfear quickly floated in front of him, blocking his path. He made a series of clinks, and after listening Bastion nodded.

 

“I know it’s dangerous to lean in close because Amber said so, but,” He pointed at the shiny rocks scattered about, “If we give her and big brother Zero some of those pretty rocks, wouldn’t they be happy?” The Bagon asked, his eyes shining in innocent joy. Elfear seemed to contemplate this, glancing at the rushing water, then thought of Amber and the Ditto both being happy with him. He tilted forward in his version of a nod, but made a few clinks of warning.

 

“Of course we’ll be careful! We just have to make sure not to make sure not to get close to the water. Besides,” Bastion put a paw on his puffed out chest, “As Amber always says, I’m strong enough to handle any problem!” He said proudly, marching forward past the worried Honedge. 

 

The two then began to look through the rocks scattered on what remained of the stream’s banks, picking up and choosing the prettiest ones. They then dropped them into a pile one the grass next to the bank. Among the rocks collected, Elfear found a Tiger’s Eye, and Bastion found an arrowhead, though none of them knew that, thinking they only looked cool and interesting. After a while, the two finally collected a good sized pile of various rocks of all types. The two stood there, looking at their work proudly.

 

“I bet Amber and big brother will be so happy!” Bastion said with utmost certainty. Elfear clinked in agreement. As the two of them started the slow process of picking up a few and bringing it back to camp, something caught Elfear’s eye. The rocks being carried by his cloth, he turned towards the rushing water.

 

Among the various debris that was carried about in it, many large fallen sticks from last night's storm were being washed downstream, a lot of them getting stuck in the rocks. There, cradled in a large branch just out of reach of the icy water, the branch looking like it might fall over any moment, was a Pokemon egg. The shell was decorated with elaborate details, from spring pink flowery symbols to orange autumn leafy swirls, from grassy green waves to winter white shimmering patterns. Alarmed, Elfear dropped his rocks, then started to make loud clanging sounds to get Bastion’s attention.

 

“Come on Elfear, what could be the mat-” Bastion told the Honedge, but when he saw what the ghost and steel type was hastily trying to point at, he, too, dropped all of the rocks on the ground, forgotten. 

 

“Wha-what should we do? Amber and big brother haven’t come back yet!” He frantically asked the Honedge as he came charging over to him. The Honedge thought for a moment, but couldn’t seem to think of anything as he shook his head sadly. Disheartened, the Bagon looked around, but then saw, among the raging rapids, a few rocks were big and strong enough to hold up above the water.

 

“We can use the rocks to jump over and save the egg!” He pointed with his little paws. Elfear looked at the many rocks poking up above the water, but immediately knew that was a bad idea. When he turned back to tell the Bagon it was best to just for Amber and Zero, Bastion was nowhere to be seen. Looking around frantically, he finally spotted the green Bagon at the edge of the raging water, then watched with increasing horror as he jumped, unsteadily onto the nearest rock.

 

“Clnk, Klnk Klng!” The Honedge rushed forward to the edge of the water, and despite his levitational abilities, the water was too turbulent to risk floating over. Bastion seemed to ignore him, a mix of determination and concentration etched across his face as he prepared to jump to the next rock. He glanced back, a scared yet determined smile on his small, green face.

 

“Don’t worry, Elfear, this is just like playing pillow jumper at home,” He said, looking at the next rock. It wasn’t that close, but it wasn’t very far, either. He rocked on his hind legs, then jumped. But he immediately knew he jumped way too hard, for he sailed right over it. The Honedge did his version of a ‘gasp!’ as the Bagon flew through the air, but luckily the rock immediately right after was very close by, so after a wobbling and heart-stopping moment, he landed safely. 

 

“Clnk-nk Klng!” The Honedge looked at the rapids, then swiftly floated to the first rock, wobbling all the way from the constant flow of the water. Bastion had just jumped to the last rock, almost directly next to the branch with its precious cargo. Carefully standing on the edge of the rock, the Bagon reached as far as he could go, leaning dangerously close. Suddenly, the branch broke free from it’s rock’s grasp, but before it could tumble over, dropping the egg into the water, he bit onto a part of the branch, leaning back as the river tugged hard against his grasp.

 

“Ba-bagon,” He muttered, his teeth clamped down on the branch tight, but not too strong as to snap it. Slowly, foot by foot, he stepped backwards on the rock, pulling the branch with him. The egg teetered on it’s perch undecidedly, and for a heart-stopping moment it almost fell down completely, but the rigid Bagon stayed perfectly still, allowing it to settle back in it’s haphazard spot. 

 

Elfear, having made it across the river with only the tip of his scabbard wet, floated on top of the rock. Wrapping his tassel around the branch in front of where the Bagon held tight, he tugged as hard as could. Together, the two of them slowly pulled the branch closer, fighting against the raging current. Finally, with a mighty heave, most of the branch rested on top of the rock, only a bit trailing in the water. Collapsing onto the ground tiredly, Bastion opened his mouth, his teeth hurting a bit from the tension.

 

“We… did it…” He said breathlessly to the Honedge. Elfear nodded, then turned his attention to why they went through that struggle. Resting snugly among the frail twigs, the yellow egg seemed to glow in the sunlight. Bastion got up, shaking his head to rid himself of his tiredness. With the help of the Honedge, he stepped through the sticks, finally clambering onto the main branch. After a few moments of awkward positioning with the twigs stick out to block his path, he reached for the egg when…

 

Snap!


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amber and Zero are returning from their short trip to the Ranger's station to plan out their hike, but when they return to camp they discover something bad has happened....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, second chapter for NaNoWriMo! ^^ R&R, thanks!
> 
> Word Count: 2015  
> Total Word Count: 7856  
> Days Remaining: 28

“Glad we stopped by; Now we know all the best paths to climb the mountain!” Amber said to her little partner. The Herdier nodded, trotting beside her. She smiled at him as they trotted up the soft slopes of the small trail, the late spring air swirling around them. It’s a perfect day out, Amber sighed, content. And it really was, despite the morning’s downpour.

 

The mid-afternoon sun shined through the trees, dappled by the ruffling, green leaves, pooled with golden radiance onto the forest floor. The playful breeze that swept through the trees had them shuddering with joy, rustling their branches in hushed praise. The singing of bird Pokemon could be heard in the air, echoing through the trees, with the crunch of running feet. 

 

Amber took a deep breath of the crisp, sweet air. Ah, if only everyday could be like this. She glanced around at the splendor of life that resided in the forest. The flowers that grew on the forest floor grew in a vibrant array, from warm orange to a cool purple, from a jubilant yellow to a pure white. The petals seemed to wave at the two as they continued on up through the winding, soft trail, the wetted ground muffling the sound of their footsteps. Zero continued to contently trot beside her, seeming to enjoy the beautiful day as much as she way.

 

“Herrrr….” Zero stopped, rigidly on guard. Picking up his ears, he seemed to concentrate as his ears twitched. Amber glanced curiously at him, glancing around to find the source of his interest. 

 

“What’s up, Zer-” But he barked and took off. Surprised, Amber stumbled as she quickly moved to follow his racing form. “Zero! Wait!” She followed him as he steered her off the trail and into the forest, seeming to know where he was going. 

 

“Her-Herdier!” He barked, continuing on with clear assurance. Amber, having no choice but to run to keep up with him, pushed on as she jumped over logs he slipped under, through brush that he smoothly slid through. As they raced on, Zero a small brown and blue blur ahead of the nimble girl, Amber heard a distance yet steady rumble, and as it grew into a roar she noticed it was the sound of the waterfall, along with another unknown yet familiar sound…

 

Suddenly, a draft of afternoon sunlight shined brightly, blinding Amber for a moment as she stumbled on, and found she was on the edge of the precipice, in front of the waterfall in the small clearing. To her left, the edge dropped to the little pool far, far below before it rushed on downhill, disappearing into the forest. On her right, the small camp they set up was where she left it, the fire a black, muddy patch surrounded by rocks, the tent set up with the flap slightly unzipped, waving freely in the breeze. As she looked around, she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary… Wait, where’s Bastion and Elfear?

 

“Herdier, Her!” Zero raced upstream, to a small craggy spot in the river, a group of branches having clung to the rocks that speared up through the rushing water. Breathlessly, Amber followed him, trying to spot whatever had his attention when she heard something that made her heart skip a pulse, coming to a full stop as she looked at the scene in the river.

 

“Ba-bagon!” Bastion was clinging to a rock in the middle of the roughest part of the river, the water constantly tugging at him as he held on with all of his might. In one of his paws, a multi-colored egg clutched tightly in his small arm. He was half underwater, barely holding onto the egg, his eyes squeezed shut as the cold water clawed at him for the moment when his grip would finally slip. On a nearby rock, Elfear floated there, making what sounded like encouraging pings, seeming to debate whether to float over to try and help him or go back to the bank for another solution.

 

“Bastion! Elfear!” Amber felt her legs working again as she rushed towards the Pokemon, only briefly wondering where the egg came from though she had a pretty good guess. Upon hearing her voice, the Honedge turned back, making sporadic, relieved noises. The Bagon simply muttered something incoherent, cracking open eye to smile tiredly at her before closing them back to conserve his energy which was quickly draining from fighting the rapids.

 

Zero continued on ahead of her, only pausing briefly to grab Amber’s backpack. When she reached the nearest bank to the two Pokemon, Zero transformed, handing her the bag as he shifted into the form of a Feraligatr. Taking the bag from him, Amber immediately unzipped it, pulling out the length of heavy-duty nylon rope. Tying the end to the backpack on the loop at the top, she slung it on as the big blue, alligator-like Pokemon took the other end and dove into the water. 

 

His red spines stuck out of the water as he swam with his powerful muscles towards the two Pokemon, the black and green rope trailing after him. When he reached them, he moved swiftly over to the Honedge first, as he was the nearest. Picking him up carefully by the scabbard, Zero swam back to shore, the rope clutched in his claws. Placing him on the pebbly ground, the Feraligatr turned back for the real challenge as Amber fell to her knees, hugging Elfear, letting the rope go as it hung slack from her backpack still on her back. 

 

“Gatorrrr…..” Zero growled calmly as he neared the Bagon, the rapids becoming increasingly stronger as the water type neared the center of the current. Bastion again opened an eye, relief flooding it when he saw the Feraligatr near. 

 

“Bagon…” He said with effort as he tried his best to shift position, carefully moving the egg from his right paw to the left. Now hanging onto the rock with his right paw, when Zero neared he held out the precious cargo, his small arm trembling from the effort. Zero took it, and with his powerful tail wrapped around the rock to use an anchor, he tied a small loop around the egg. Once the loop was tightened, the line drew taught from the tension. Looking to the shore, the water type saw Amber holding the line steady, having to lean forward as the rope threatened to pull her backpack off. Now sensing a dilemma, Zero looked back and forth from the shore to the tired Bagon to the egg and back.

 

“Ba, bagon,” Bastion said after a moment. Zero looked uncertainly at the small dragon type, but Bastion smiled, his eyes showing his inner strength despite his exhaustion. Zero nodded, growling a few words of strength as he propelled back to shore, Amber and Elfear watching with nervous tension. Once the egg made it to shore safely, Amber gently cradling it in her arms as she took the precious cargo, Bastion let out a tired but relieved sigh, then felt his strength give way when, at a heartstopping moment, his paws slipped from the wet, cold rock.

 

“Bag-!” Bastion cry let out, but it was quickly muffled as the current pushed him under. The three on shore looked up at the sound of his call, and when she saw him being carried away downstream towards the quickly approaching waterfall, Amber felt dread rise in her chest. Before she knew what she was doing, the girl was already on the move as she ran towards him. 

 

“Bastion!” Amber cried, handing the egg to the Feraligatr. She ran forward, the nylon rope trailing in the grass. The Bagon’s green head bobbed undecidedly in the water, at times going under completely as he flailed about, trying desperately to grab hold of one of the slippery rocks, but the unrelenting current continued to push him on, hammering him against the rocks that lie underwater. 

 

As she raced onward, she became dimly aware that both Zero and Elfear called out to her, but the girl was focused on only one thing at that moment. As Bastion continued unwillingly down the river, tumbling under the constant churning and increasingly faster water before coming back up, taking deep gasps as the cycle repeated once and again, Amber, despite still feeling a bit tired from her long run to chase Zero, took some deep breaths of her own as she pushed herself. Now running as fast her legs could go, she slowly caught up, now running alongside Bastion as the current effortlessly carried him along. 

 

Without planning or thinking of the consequences, Amber checked the distance before she suddenly steered right, jumped on a large rock protruding out of the water, and jumped right in. The resounding splash drenched the others as they slid to a halt, the water spraying right in their faces. Once the initial shock wore off after a moment, Amber hung to a large rock sticking out, literally dangling on the precipice of the cliff. Bastion lay lifeless in the crook of her arm, having been knocked out when his head hit the side of a rock one too many times. 

 

“Gatorrrr!” The Feraligatr and Honedge came up to her on the edge of the cliff next to the waterfall, the drop below them seeming more oppressive with every second, Zero holding the egg tightly under one arm. Amber breathed in deeply through gritted teeth, her left and weaker arm being the only thing that held them up from falling to their imminent deaths. 

 

“Klink, Cling!” Elfear floated over to them quickly, coming to a stop on the rock Amber was quickly feeling becoming unstable from the weight. With a quick swoop, the Honedge used his ragged tassel to grab the nylon rope, and as he went back to shore he allowed the length to grow between them to allow him and Zero to pull Amber and the unconscious Bagon back up. 

 

But, before he reached the edge of the stream, there was a sickening crack! as the rock Amber so desperately clung to ripped away from the cliff’s edge. In an unimaginably defined and infinite moment, she felt herself hover in the air. Bastion was still in her arm, starting to become loose from her slackened grip from the shock, his green head still bowed in his sleepless slumber. Elfear, holding the rope, was pulled down along with Amber, his scabbard facing forward as he continued to hold reflexingly onto the rope. On the very edge of her perception, at that moment Zero had transformed into what seemed to be a flying type Pokemon, wings flapping in slow motion towards them.

 

Then, gravity took over and time sped up once more. As she, Bastion, and subsequently Elfear fell to the tiny pool below, Zero had indeed turned into a Pidgeot, diving towards the three. As they continued to fall, Amber feeling more than seeing the floor come rushing up behind her, Zero extended a claw as he neared in an attempt to catch them, the other claw holding tightly yet delicately to the egg. But right before he or the floor could catch them, a blinding light lit up from behind the girl, surrounding her. 

 

In the light, everything got swallowed up as she seemed to fall right in it, the cliff high above becoming a speck in the distance before all there was was the light, enveloping the others around her. Amber’s right hand burned with a fiery yet soothingly warm glow on the back, but it became a fading thought as her senses numbed slowly. But despite the light’s stark and sudden appearance, a warmth soothed the girl as she felt her eyes began to get lidden, and all the weight and strength left her body. As sleep began to wash over her like a warm blanket, she felt more than heard a voice echoing in the light, the darkness silkily flowing around her...

 

“You… will be the one… to help… these dying worlds… help…. Help!”


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyrule's favorite hero wakes to a normal day in Ordon village. However, it's not long before disaster strikes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day? Ooh, look at me, I'm so special~ R&R, thanks!
> 
> Word Count: 3,112  
> Days Left: 25

“Link, are you up to the task to go in my place?” The middle-aged man looked away from the pond before the two and glanced at the older teenage boy next to him. The boy looked at him, his dirty-blond hair reflecting brown in the setting sunlight. His blue eyes, sharp and observant, glinted with his enthusiasm as he smiled softly, nodding happily. His pointed ears stuck out of his bangs as they fluttered softly in the wind as the two sat in front of the large pool that spilled out from a small cliff that wrapped around the grotto, the little waterfall murmuring merrily. 

 

“Alright, then. Though I knew you would agree from the beginning,” The older man added, a twinkle in his young, aging and kind eyes. The boy smiled good humouredly as they looked back at the pond. The forest around them seemed to sing with life, the leaves rustling in the late-afternoon breeze, birds calling among the branches. The setting sun lit the sky ablaze in vibrant oranges and pinks. The man sighed in a gloomy tone as the sun sank lower into the horizon, causing the boy to glance back at him.

 

“...Don’t you ever feel a certain… sadness… as twilight approaches?” He stared into the churning water before him, a certain, lonely look etching into his face. The boy looked back at the water as well, his thoughts deep in as the man continued. “They say this is the only time our world meets theirs; Where the lingering regrets of spirits can be felt, all those who have long since left this world.” He looked up, watching the few clouds hurry unhurriedly across the tangerine sky, reflecting the golden sun. 

 

“This is why a certain sadness can be felt as the sets to dusk and twilight. But,” he got up, dusting his baggy, handmade pants with the boy following suit, “enough of this dready talk. The tribute is almost complete, and it has to be delivered the day after tomorrow. Though originally the Mayor asked me to deliver it, you…” he paused to consider the boy, his eyes deep in thought. “You’ve never been to Hyrule, right?” He asked, already knowing the answer but the boy shook his head anyways. As they walked over to where a horse waited patiently, the man continued to talk about Hyrule.

 

“Hyrule is a vast kingdom, and at it’s center is a grand castle. Surrounding the castle, a town that’s far bigger than our small village,” he explained as the boy rubbed his horse’s nose affectionately, before leading her down the trail to go back home. As they walked through the forest and over the bridge that separated the forest from the woods surrounding the village, the man continued to talk as the boy listened intently. They passed on by another spring, this one a bit smaller with an old, wooden gate that was open as they continued on.

 

“The town and castle of Hyrule are very impressive and grand, but so is the rest of the world. It’s vastness and wonders are something you could never truly say. It would be a good thing for you to experience this yourself,” As they continued on the well-worn trail, the distant and far away look in his smiling eyes seem to take on a more determined glint. 

 

After a little while longer of walking, a large ancient tree came into view among the rocky slopes, sitting on top of a large rocky outcrop. As they got closer, the tree’s base materialized into a house built right into the trunk’s hollow. In front of the house’s rock base, a boy and his mother swollen with child waited for the two.

 

“Alright, I’ll talk to the mayor about this matter more in the morning. Farewell,” the man waved his goodbye as he made his way down the slope, the boy following closely behind. He looked back with a curious look, and with a smiling nod from the teen he smiled back as he followed his parents around the corner and out of sight. As he watched them go, the horse butted his shoulder, making him break into a smile as he rubbed her nose. He climbed the built-in ladder into the house, and as he went in he was unaware as somebody walked up to the house and led Epona back into the woods.

 

“Hey, Link!” Looking out, a tall and thick built man waved his arms. “Do you mind helping me round up the goats? They’ve been very skittish lately, and just won’t listen to me! Do you think you can help?” Fado called up. Link nodded before ducking his head back inside the window. 

 

After a few moments, he was outside and stepping down the ladder. The ranchhand looked around, pointing out something the boy was beginning to notice himself. “Hey, where’s Epona’ gone?” The two looked around, but the mare was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Well, you can’t herd in the goats without her, so you better find her quickly before dark!” He called after the boy as he disappeared into the woods. Walking down the main path, Link passed the many trees, but he already guessed where the horse would have gone. Reaching the spring, he stopped at the gate.

 

Inside, a girl about the same age as him had Epona standing inside the water of the spring. In her knee-length white dress, she had her back to the gate, her yellow hair reaching her shoulders. She pet the horse’s long nose, her dark eyes regarding the girl. When Link approached, the mare shook her head in greeting to the boy, causing the girl to turn around. When she looked at him, her green eyes blinked in happy greeting.

 

“Oh, hi, Link!” She said in her cheery voice. She looked back at the horse who continued to gaze at her with her big intelligent eyes. “I cleaned Epona for you! She’s a girl, too, so you should treat her as one.” Ilia smiled at him. All the while, Link’s face softened into a warm smile as she stood there in the spring, Epona standing next to her with the glittering, crystal clear pool of water shimmering behind her.

 

“Ah, it’s time for you to work, right? Oh, but can you play that beautiful song that Epona likes so much before you go?” She asked, a hopeful note evident in her tone. Link nodded, then looked around. Seeing a patch of Horse Grass, he picked one and played the three clear, shining notes. Upon hearing them, Epona immediately trotted forward towards her rider, tossing her mane happily.

 

“It’s so pretty! Thank you, Link! Now, remember to take care of her and don’t push her too hard, alright?” Ilia waved at him as he skillfully hopped onto the mare’s back. Leading the horse out of the gate, he then softly tapped on her to bring her up to a trot. Reaching his house, he turned her away to travel down the road towards the village. The woods leading to the small village were adorned in life. 

 

As it came into view, Ordon Village opened up in front of him. A large river fed into a small stream, the water mill in constant motion. A few houses lay scattered throughout, among them a large log cabin housed the Mayor and where the meetings took place. Farther up past the mayor’s residence, an archway adorned with a painted picture of an Ordon goat hung, leading the way to the farmland. To the right was the little general good’s store, where most of the items the residents of Ordon by their items. To the left lay a house that was essentially the opposite of Link’s own, a house underneath the rocky ledge that served as the base for a large tree. 

 

To the far right up against a cliff, a small house stood next to a little creek that ran from underneath the cliff face, continued on under the little bridge, and then spilled out into the river. Where the mill constantly churned, another larger house lay, a garden growing, full of pumpkins. As Epona trotted relaxingly through the little village, one of the children greeted him as he passed.

 

“Hi, Link. I’m making you a fishing pole, you know! It’s not done yet, but it will be soon so get ready for some fishing” Colin said, his usually timid and shy demeanor being outshined by his pride and excitement. Link smiled at him, nodding at the the corn-yellow haired boy’s mother, Sera, as she held a hand to her swollen stomach. He continued to greet the many villagers as he made his way up the slope to where the farmland lay. Reaching the ranch, Fado waved his hands to him.

 

“Hey, Link! You found Epona; great news! Now, can you and Epona round up the goats and put them back in their pens?” Link nodded, and Fado nodded back as he stepped away. Then with a tap on his mare’s flanks, Link began to round up all of the Ordon goats. He whooped as Epona trotted across the small field with ease as the goats slowly started to huddle together. When they got together close to the pens, Link and his trusted partner closed the gap, finally herding the last of the goats inside. Once done, Fado ran up to them.

 

“Thank you both! Those goats have really given me trouble lately; Maybe some sort of animal may have spooked them? Anyways, thanks a bunch! Now, do you two want to practice jumping the fences for a while?” Link considered this, but with a shake of Epona’s head he kindly declined. Fado nodded in thoughtfulness.

 

“I understand, but if you ever want to come by to practice, just give me a holler!” He waved at them as Epona broke into a sprint, easily jumping over the ranch’s gate. They passed through the village one more time, the sun now well below the horizon. Everyone started to head in, bidding the Hylian a goodnight as he and Epona continued their short journey home. Once there, Link relieved her of her packs and saddle, giving her one last pat before climbing up the stairs and heading to bed for the night.

 

===

 

The next morning, Link woke to the sound of a call once again, except this time it was of a much younger voice. Looking out the window from his bed so high up, down far below four children of various ages waited, one of them waving up at him. 

 

“Link! Come on down; we have something to tell you!” The boy called up, waving his wooden toy sword. The teen boy nodded in return, then leaned back inside. Once he was outside, he jumped down, not using the ladder as the four children all waited impatiently. Each of the children, ranging from six to ten, all crowded around him excitedly.

 

“Hey, Link! Did you hear? They’re selling a slingshot at the store!” Talo said, brimming with excitement as he waved the sword around. He then looked at the lone girl of the group with a very accusing glare. “But Beth won’t let us play with it!” He turned to her. The eldest of the group, she put her hands on her hips to glare right back.

 

“You know I can’t do that! I’d get in trouble; besides, can’t you and Malo just save up your allowances or somethin?” She continued to glare at the boy. The youngest of the group, a very intelligent boy of six, mumbled unhappily at the remark.

 

“Our allowances are terrible….” Malo looked to the side, the ever present scowl at his face more prominent now. Colin, shy and quiet, went to pet Epona as they continued to rant on for a bit with Link listening with a brotherly care. As the day warmed and went on, he waved at them as he headed toward the village. In the peaceful settlement, the residents were up and about doing their daily duties. 

 

As he headed walked through the town, many of them told him good morning, talking about small problems that grew in gossip. As he talked to Malo and Talo’s father, Jaggle, on top of one of the little rocky plateaus, in the distance down the basin a large was sticking out of the water. On top of the rock, what looked to be a monkey jumped up and down, holding an indiscernible object in her hand. 

 

“Hey, Link, can you come here for a moment?” He called down. Link nodded, waving at Hanch who also nodded farewell before turning a forlorn look to the beehive that hung far above in the tree. After climbing up the ivy, Jaggle turned towards another rocky outcrop next to the one they stood on. He pointed to it when as the teen boy walked up next to him.

 

“You see that grass over there?” He pointed towards a little patch of strange, bulbous grass. “I figured that grass was pretty rare, called Hawk Grass, so I thought to let you know about it!” He winked at the blue-eyed boy. Link looked over, studying the grass. Walking to the edge of the miniature plateau, he calculated the distance before jumping over. On the other outcrop, he reach down and picked one of the stalks. 

 

The fluted, bird-shaped leaves stuck out. Knowing a good deal of grass whistling from always calling Epona, he blew a few notes into the leaves. Above, a cry went out. Diving from above, a large, auburn hawk flew gracefully down to him. He extended his left arm, and the hawk landed perfectly on it. The hawk looked at him with intelligent eyes, and the boy instinctively knew the Hawk was waiting for orders. 

 

Looking around, he spied the beehive that Hanch was still staring at, trying to figure out how to knock it down. He glanced at the hawk, who was also looking intently at the beehive. The boy then gently swung his arm forward, and the hawk immediately launched off his arm. It flew straight, and upon getting to the hive it scratched it’s perch, causing it to fall to the ground. The hawk then cawed once before flying away, with Hanch turning back around and waving at the boy. 

 

Happy that that’s been taken care of, Link prepared to get down when a noise from down the basin caught his attention. Turning around, a large rock jutted up in the middle of the water far away. Not being able to see very well, the boy jumped onto the shingled roof of the shop, then continued to jump through two large rocks that jutted out into the water. On the top of the second one, another clutch of the Hawk Grass growing on it haphazardly. 

 

On top of the rock in the center of the basin, a monkey was jumping up and down, holding what appeared to be a woven basket of some kind.. Quickly grabbing another piece of the grass, he called down the hawk once more. Aiming for the basket in the monkey’s hand, the hawk flew and plucked it out of her hand. As the hawk flew back to the boy, Link recognized that the basket was in fact a baby’s cradle.

 

Taking the basket, he jumped back across the rooftop and landed nimbly onto the ground. Carrying it, he walked back Hanch once again he looked curiously at the hand-woven cradle.

 

“Isn’t that the one Sera’s been looking for?” He inquired as Link passed by. Connecting the simple dots, he walked over the short distance to where the pregnant mother stood. When she saw him coming, she smiled in pleasant surprise, her hand still loving over her swollen stomach.

 

“Link! My, did you know I had lost the cradle? Thank you!” She said happily in her motherly voice. Link smiled back, happy that the cradle has been returned. She thought for a second before a thought struck her. “Oh, I almost forgot! I have a few things to give to you; do you mind carrying the cradle back for me?” She gestured to the house that sat against the rock wall on the incline. Link nodded, and carried the cradle back as she talked about anything and nothing. Once there, he set the cradle on the porch as she walked inside.

 

“I’ll just be a moment, so wait there,” she said as she went through the open doorway. After a few seconds, she returned with a few, long pieces of wood in her hand. “This is from Colin, he made it for you with help from his father,” She said in her caring tone, handing a handmade rod. 

 

It was long, painted brightly in exotic colors. The wood was bendable enough that it wouldn’t break from the strain of hauling in fish, but it was sturdy enough to not allow the fish any leeway when reeling in. The bobber was painted the same as the rod, and about half it’s size. He thanked her with the promise to thank Colin later as he slung it over his shoulder. Next, she handed him a wooden sword.

 

“And this is from Rusl; he said that it was prepared like new, so it shouldn’t break again anytime soon.” She said as she sat on the porch. The plain wooden sword’s shaft had indeed been repaired, mended so that it appeared that it wasn’t broken in the first place. The grip’s cloth had been changed, making it easier to hold onto, with some simple yet intricate Ordon signs having been painted on it. He thanked her once again as he hooked it onto a little niche on his back, allowing it to hang so that it wouldn’t fall, but it would also be easy to grab hold if need be. As he walked down the path, Colin came running up to him in a panic, causing the others nearby to glance curious looks.

 

“Link!” He cried as he ran forward. The teen stopped, looking as the boy ran up to him, panting hard. The blue-eyed boy took a knee to be on the eye-level of the younger boy. Colin looked around, then whispered loudly so it wasn’t really a whisper: “Something terrible has happened! Talo saw a monkey, so he, Malo, and Beth ran after it into Faron Woods! I was going to go after them, but…” He shook his head. Having heard enough, Link put a hand on the boy’s shoulder, assuring him that he would go get them before taking off, Colin watching back in worry.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amber wakes in a foreign land with very strange geography, people, and creatures. But, with the flick of a single key to open a gate of a tunnel, it leads her to her destiny...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, confusion and Light Spirits and stuff! (Bastion, Zero, and Elfear are currently out for the count.)
> 
> Word Count: 3,344  
> Days Left: 25

“...Awake… Young hero…”

 

Amber blinked open her eyes, but immediately regretted it. Light flooded her version immediately, forcing her to shut her eyes close again. As she tried to focus on getting up, she found unhappily that her entire body was sore and in pain, pins and needles lacing up through her nerves. As she felt panic slowly bubble upwards, she forced herself to relax, unclenching her fisted hands. 

 

As her body unwillingly untensed, her muscles relaxing with an aching vengeance, she became increasingly aware of feeling the entirety of her back was wet. As she lay there, refreshingly cool yet pleasantly warm and gentle waves caressed her, lapping in over her legs and receding as it reached her head, leaving only her back and bottom half of her body wet. Continuing to lay there with her eyes closed, the water seemed to swirl around her in a very soft and caring manner, healing her body and giving her strength. Her hand had started to pulse again, but it was bow more of a soft, warm glow emanating from the back of her hand. 

 

“Arise… Youthful heroine…”

 

At the sound of the soft, ancient voice, Amber felt herself suddenly be full of an unexplainable power, as if the soothing water gave her immense, untold strength. She sat up, finding herself inside a sort of grotto, and she was laying in the middle of a spring, the back of her clothes completely soak through. She was still in her clothes, her backpack on the little banks of the small pool, and as she reached for it, surprisingly enough it was completely dry. But the most striking feature of the grotto and spring was the large, glowing being that stood in front of her as she stood up on wobbly legs.

 

It was incredibly big, much bigger than most Pokemon she’s ever seen. It reminded her of the shape of a Gogoat crossed with a Suicune, but entirely white. Intricate swirls and designs ran down it’s large, quadrupled body to the tip of it’s tail which slowly moved from side to side as the being hovered in front of her. It’s horns, though they seemed to be separate at first, were in fact not, as they curved up and over to meet at the ends, creating a large loop. Despite being something clearly powerful and ancient, the being carried a certain grace as it gazed at the human girl before it. 

 

The most interesting part of the luminescent, pure goat-like being that caught Amber’s eye the most was the spherical ball that was held in place in the center of the being’s horns. The sphere fit perfectly in the hole created by the connected horns, perfectly round and glowing with it’s own, pure white light. As she glanced at it, the surface of the sphere shifted and swirled, much like the outside of a bubble, except much more noticeable. When the being finally spoke after a few moments of what seemed to be a staring contest the girl surely was losing, it’s voice came out as something ancient, gentle and wise.

 

“Young heroine… You who has fallen from distant stars... Where the light shifts and bends… Heed my words…” The being stared her in the eyes, large and white, but with a knowledge and power much more than Amber even tried to fathom.

 

“I am a light spirit… One of four to protect these vast land.... Sent by the gods…” The being went on as the girl tried to make sense of the stranger and stranger situation she was finding herself in. “A darkness is covering these lands…. Distorting the light…. Distorting time, and space…. You must fix these…. In order to return to where you once came….” The being stared her down, and she found it hard to think as the full weight of what the being said, and was saying, took hold.

 

“Oh, kind one… Do not fear…. For help will always be near… For you are not alone…. In this world….” The being began to fade, disintegrating into light motes. The voice, however, continued on even after the being had disappeared. “Your heart… Will help protect the light… From the dark…” The voice then faded, leaving Amber to stand there and take a few moments to think. Once it set in, she crouched down again, staring into the water as she tried to comprehend the Light Spirit’s words. A new Legendary Pokemon? She thought as confusion set in, but a noise drew her attention. 

 

Laying on the sandy and grassy banks of the pool of water, a blue Ditto, green Bagon, and silver Honedge lay together, and resting comfortably in the soft sand, the egg sat upright. Rushing over to her fallen Pokemon, Amber rechecked her priorities as she carefully looked over each of them, but they all were surprisingly well. Taking out her Pokeballs, she recalled all of them, giving them a few moments rest as she stuck the Pokeballs back in the bag. 

 

Picking up the egg gently, she gave it a careful look over to make sure it wasn’t damaged, and once she was sure it was fine she set her backpack on the ground. Opening the top, she made a cradle using her clothes stuffed inside and placed the egg on top. Closing the backpack close, she put it on, aware that she would have to be extra careful when handling it.

 

Glad I transferred everything to the backpack in preparation for the hike, which we never did. Amber sighed, but then that thought brought on another, more immediate question. Where are we, anyways? The human girl looked around at the grotto, but didn’t really find anything there that would be of help. Looking back, she noticed the gate that was set at the opening to the spring.

 

Curious now, she cautiously approached the gate. It was of simple design, decorated elaborately with amazing artisanship. Ivy grew around the wooden and metal framing as it reached up, almost twice her height. The gate was opened wide, opening out into the woodland beyond. Peering around, the forest seemed peaceful enough, but completely foreign to her. Sighing, she walked back to the edge of the pool of water and sat, bringing her knees up to her chest. She looked into the water, trying to remember the events before she woke up in this strange, new place.

 

There was the…egg in the river… Bastion clinging to the rock… Zero carrying both the egg and Elfear… Bastion slipping…. I jumped in the water… The rock broke on the cliff… then… Amber closed her eyes, concentrating to remember what happened after she fell off the edge with Bastion, Zero, and Elfear going down along with her. As she tried to concentrate with all her might, she just remembered a flash of light, a voice, and a burning sensation on her right hand.

 

Opening her eyes, she looked at the back of her hand, but it didn’t look any different. Shaking her head, she thought about the voice she heard before she blacked out, her reflection wavering in the clear water. “You… will be the one… to help… these dying worlds… help…. Help!” Dying worlds? How would I help? Shouldn’t it be dying world? As the questions swirled around her, she closed her eyes again, settling the headache that was threatening to take over. 

 

Well, that thought process won’t get me anywhere. She got up, brushing some of the sand off her pants more as a distraction then to get cleaner. Her clothes had all but dried off from the morning sun’s warmth. It’s morning, so I must have been unconscious through the night. If I did fall into the pond, then maybe I traveled downstream to end here….? She looked back at the small waterfall that tumbled into the pool of water, and though she tried to stay hopeful that was the case her doubts beat her to it. 

 

Amber, think! You’re stuck in the middle of the woods, lost. But, there is a gate to this pond, so there would have to be people nearby. Nodding at her simple deduction, she walked up to the gated entrance of the pond. Looking out, she noticed a dirt-trail going left and right. Looking left, the trail headed into the woods down a slope till it disappeared from view. On the right, she saw with a very happy surprise a long, wooden bridge standing steadily over a deep gorge. Looking at the two directions, she weighed her options till she finally decided that across the bridge looked much more promising. 

 

As she struck off to cross the bridge, the sun was then high above her, beginning its slow descent across the sky. After she crossed it, she continued on, following the trail through the woods, the trees whispering unidentifiable words to the quietly gossiping wind as it seemed to follow and guide her. Amber began to notice that though the geography remained about the same even across the bridge with the area covered in rocky outcrops and cliffs, the trees became more wild and diverse, the number of firs and elms increasing as the oaks receded. After a bit of walking, she began to hear the increasingly familiar sound of rushing water. A few moments later, she reached a small alcove that held another spring, this one similar to the first except larger.

 

The water flowed clear, a waterfall also filling it to the small, sandy bank. The waterfall of this pool, however, extended far back with multiple little rapids and falls visible from her vantage point, and in the distance a tall waterfall spilled magnificently into the air. Ahead, past the shimmering pool and waterfalls, a large cave stretched in through an incredibly large cliff face, one of many that seemed to infest the entire area. The bare stone was hollowed out, continued a short distance to the other side, leading to more forested terrain. 

 

She walked over to the entrance of the short, broad tunnel. Inside, grass grew on the floor, notably more thicker at the entrances. This must have been man-made. She walked the short distance through it, and on the other side she was again confronted by a large plateau, another tunnel leading through it, but this one had to be much longer as there was not a speck of light coming from inside it. In front of it, a gate that was much similar to the one at the pool of water she woke up at stood in front of it, but it was closed.

 

Walking up to it, she found it had a very interestingly designed padlock holding the gate doors shut. The black lock looked much like ones she saw of settler times, but it seemed fairly new. Looking around the gate, the key that would have fit into the large keyhole was nowhere to be seen. 

 

Well, that won’t work, Amber thought as she sighed in frustration. The rock extended all the way around to her right, showing she couldn’t go that way. The only way now was to go left, so she struck off, thinking if all else failed she would just go back the way she came from. Passing through the long grass in a small passage between the two rocky cliff faces, it suddenly opened up to a small clearing. 

 

In the clearing, a large wooden house sat against a small incline in the shelter of the ever-present cliffs. It looked kind of like the pictures she'd seen of shacks used at old mining sites, but this was in good condition and in use. In front of the wooden structure there was a well-used fire pit, surrounded by rocks to keep the fire contained. Over the now dark pit a small, black cauldron hung. Next to the pit, on a log, sat a shirtless man. 

 

He seemed fairly young, shirtless and tanned, and from his leathery skin he must be out a lot. He wore simple, baggy shorts with a satchel slung across his shoulder. His head was a literal bird’s nest, as the matted, black curls were concaved on the top, making an inward dent that served as a nest for a couple of creatures that looked similar to bird Pokemon, but… weren't. As she approached, he looked up, a twinkle in his eyes that showed he smiled a lot.

 

“Hello, girl! One visitor in a day is unusual, but you’re the second!” He said in a jolly grin. As she thought about that, he continued on, looking over her clothing and backpack. “What a strange outfit you have on there; are you a visitor from Hyrule?” Amber, not knowing how to respond to that question, blinked a few times, but as she opened her mouth he continued on, not taking notice of her thoughtlessness. “There’s been a lot of very strange things that’s been happening in these woods, so you should take this,” he said, reaching into the leather satchel. He then pulled out a fairly old, well-used oil lantern. 

 

“If you ever need to refill the oil, come on buy! And if you want, I have a special deal for a bottle of oil for only two-hundred rupees!” He winked at her as she took it. I still have my flashlight, but I think it’s best not to bring it up, she silently thought as she thanked him. As she waved farewell, she took careful notice of the strange creatures flying around him, then remembered what she wanted to ask in the first place.

 

“Um, do you know which way to the nearest… town?” She said after a moment, thinking that’s the safest term. He thought for a moment, before nodding. He pointed back the way she had come, back through the tunnel.

 

“Ordon Village is a bit of a ways thataway, but the nearest town is Hyrule, which is very far away over, and you can get there by going through the gate there,” He pointed at a large gate, similar to the others. At the moment it was closed, it seemed. “Of course, Hyrule Fields is becoming more and more of a dangerous place nowadays, so you should go only if you’re prepared for a long trip; but then again, you already knew that, right?” He winked at her. Still having no idea what those places are, she decided it was best to feign ignorance and just nodded in agreement. Looking back, she saw the blocked entrance to the dark cave in the rockside.

 

“Where does that tunnel lead to?” She pointed towards the tunnel with the closed off gate. He leaned to the side, humming in confusion. Upon seeing the gate, he nodded as he relaxed.

 

“That’s the tunnel that leads to the inner Faron Woods. I generally keep it locked throughout the day, but this guy that came in earlier seemed to be in a huge hurry to get there, so I gave him one of the keys that opens it. It was weird, because before that I could have sworn a boy and a monkey were being lead through it... “ He shook his head. “It’s been a really weird day.” As he said these words, Amber smiled with a face that clearly said man, you don’t know the half of it. In that moment of silence, he regarded her with a strange look.

 

“Hey, can you do me a favor?” Snapped out of her thoughts, she blinked at him, persisting him to continue. “The boy that came through here earlier hasn’t returned yet, so he may have gotten lost. I have another key to the gate here, so do you mind to go and find him for me?” He said as he dug into his satchel, bringing out a rusted, iron key that was as big as her hand. Suddenly confronted with this request, the girl stared at the key. She glanced back at the young man, who looked at her with what appeared to be patient and thoughtful eyes.

 

Should I? She looked again at the key, feeling it’s weight in her hands. Though she really just wanted to get going to the village to figure out what’s going on, something deep in her told her that she should go and find the ‘guy’, as he calls him, and she would probably, no, definitely regret it if she didn’t. After a few more moments, she closed her eyes, making a defeated sigh.

 

“Alright, I’ll go find him,” She sighed, wondering what she got herself into in the midst of this increasingly stranger day. The man smiled widely at her agreement. 

 

“Great! Now, just use this key to open the gate, and once you pass through the tunnel you’ll end up over in the deeper part of Faron Woods. Be careful, though,” He warned her, his voice taking on a more serious and cautious tone. “As I said, there are strange things happening in those woods lately, so make sure to keep to the path. Other than that, you should be fine!” His voice returned to it’s jolly lilt. She nodded, still holding the large, heavy key in her hand.

 

“Now, good luck to you! If you come back, how about coming by for me to fill your lantern?” He waved at her as she headed down the short passage to the small gate. As she went back, she stole one last, long glance at the man and the strange flying creatures flying around him. Are they Pokemon? If not, then where am I? What’s Hyrule? Is that in a different region? Am I even on the same planet? Feeling the headache rising again, she shut her eyes, trying to block out all the swirling thoughts that were fighting to take over as she neared the tunnel’s gate.

 

Reaching it, she found it was indeed locked, but only the padlock itself was, and lying on the ground was a long, rusted metal chain. Did it fall when the ‘guy’ opened it? She thought as she held up the padlock. It was a simple padlock design, with a large keyhole in the center. Weighing the key in her hand for a moment, she stuck it inside the lock. She then turned it, the clicks inside echoing the fact that it was a miracle the lock wasn’t rusted shut. Finally, once the key was horizontal, a click was heard and the padlock loosened it’s grip the gates. Dropping the padlock to the ground, she pocketed the key, thinking to give it back later. 

 

Walking up to the large tunnel, she tried to peer inside, but the contrast between the mid-afternoon’s light and the dark, looming tunnel made it impossible to see anything in the dark. She looked at the lantern, thinking about it, but decided to save it for later. She attached it to a small hook on the of her backpack. She then reached back, sticking her hand into a bag, and after feeling through the many hiking supplies her hand finally landed on the item she was looking for. 

 

Pulling out the heavy duty flashlight, she clicked on the button, and the beam of light pierced through the dark. Inside, the tunnel was surprisingly dry, and the thick rock seemed to make it very oppressive. As she looked through the entrance, she noticed a faint, flickering light ahead, and appeared to be stationary. She hesitated, but sighed once again, which she seemed to do a lot recently. Well, I’m not going to get anywhere standing here, so might as well get going. She breathed in deeply, checked that the egg was alright along with the three pokeballs, then headed into the unknown.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amber travels through Ordon Woods, searching for the mysterious boy the strange man told her about earlier. As she ventures, she begins to realize how serious and fantastical her situation is...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Okay, sorry for such a late entry, been busy with another story I kind of just began to write because... Well, why not? Anyways, I'm playing Pokemon Sun and Moon, so I got really inspired from that. Anyways, onto the story!
> 
> Also, just saying, sorry for any OOC-ness that happens near the end; you'll see what I mean.

The tunnel turned out to be not nearly as dark and ominous as it appeared from the outside. Gloomy, maybe, but not frightening in any form. Walking through the entrance, she quickly found that someone had laid down wooden planks over the soft ground, and in front of the boardwalk-like path, a stone pillar with oil in a crevice at the top turned out to be the source of the dim, warm light she had seen from the entrance.

As she walked through, the flashlight's beam cutting through the dark, she was a bit surprised when she came across strange looking creatures, each resembling Pokemon, but not quite. Dark, strange flying creatures looked like Noibat, while small rodents had the similar appearance to Rattata. As she continued on, she reached a small intersection, marked by another pillar, where the tunnel split off in two directions. The one on the right headed at a slight incline upwards, and the other steeply went down.

Left? Or straight? She went back and forth, finally deciding on heading left. As she walked up the slight slope, she pondered the past few hours since she had awoken. Not only does she seem to not be near Mount Moon, but she may not even be in the right region! Plus, she's never heard of these places before… Ordon Village and Faron Woods? A kingdom called Hyrule? And what was that shiny creature that spoke to me, all of the strange wildlife here? None of this makes sense… She sighed as she trudged on, wondering if this was all one big, elaborate dream.

After a few minutes of walking slowly upwards, another lit pillar came into view, and to her dismay it caused the end of the tunnel to glow softly, wavering to the flickering of the firelight. But, to her surprise, a strange case was set in the middle of the ground. Walking up to it, she realized that it was actually an elaborate, blue chest, closed tightly. Kneeling down to it, a barrage of thoughts and questions hit her at once as she took a closer look to it.

The chest in question was well created, and pretty small, considering what it's made of. It seemed to be made completely of wood, stained to a honey-hue. It looked like two trapezoidal prisms were hinged together, so that the thinnest sides were the top and bottom while the thickest part was where the chest opened. To a mix of pleasant and questionable surprise, she found the chest did not have a lock, but just a latch that could easily be undone to open it.

As she stared at it, her curiosity and suspicion fought in a mental conflict. It's probably a trap! The cautious inner voice accused. It would be better if we just left it there. The voice said logically, tempting Amber to leave the chest. No! It might have treasure, or something valuable, like to explain where we are! Her curious and adventurous voice declared. Besides, if it is a trap, would we really want to leave it here for someone else to befall whatever terrible trick might lie within? The voice reasoned, making the other think about it. Finally, the cautious voice sighed in defeat, but remarked unhappily before dispersing. Fine, but just a peek, and if it's dangerous then we run!

Amber reached down, and delicately unhinged the latch. With a frightful yet excited feeling rising, the prospect of treasure and danger rising inside, she opened the lid. And inside was… a shiny yellow thing? She reached down, and picked up the small yellow cylindrical crystal. It was only about the size of her palm, mostly opaque, and very reflective. More confused than anything at this new discovery, she put it inside her pocket before closing the lid once again.

Well, this is better than nothing, but still no closer to figuring out where I am, she thought with another sigh. She headed back down the tunnel to the intersection, this time turning right to follow the downwards trail. As the trail ever so slightly declined, a soft, orange glow appeared ahead. As she neared it, the girl's heart leaped with joy at finally reaching the end of the tunnel, and sped to a s light jog. But she neared the exit… Snap!

She froze in her tracks, and glanced down to see what she had stepped on. Underneath her right foot, two pieces of a carved stick was on the ground. Picking up the two pieces of broken wood, she realized that it must have been a small weapon of some kind, maybe a toy sword. On the base of one side of the slightly curved wood, a few stripes of paint marked where the hilt would have been, and it must have been broken on what would have been the blade. As she looked at it and it's randomness to just be lying abandoned on the ground at an entrance to a tunnel, a thought clicked in her head.

What did that guy said? That he saw a boy and a monkey being lead through? The connection caused her to look up and out of the tunnel's entrance to the woods beyond, all golden from the setting sun's dying rays. Amber set her backpack onto the ground, unzipping the top. As she rummaged through the items to make room for the broken sword, one of the Pokeballs rolled out. Bouncing off a rock, it opened up, revealing a tired looking, sky-blue seeing him, Amber smiled brightly.

"Why, good morning, Zero! Did you have a nice nap?" She said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. The Ditto yawned sleepily as he transformed into a small Minun. The little electric type lazily walked up to her, rubbing his eyes, as Amber put her backpack back on. She gently picked up the tan and light blue Pokemon, who nestled comfortably in the nook of her arm as she stood back up.

All around her, enormous trees grew a bit spread out at the edges, but she saw that deeper in, the canopy thickened. A blurry, white mist covered the land, the sun's dying light only barely piercing through the haze. Many creatures called distantly through the eerie woods, and as Amber cautiously and uneasily made her way through them, she felt that distinct feeling of being watched. As they walked on, Zero became more alert and watchful, jumping up to her shoulder to watch all around them as the flashlight cut into the fog.

"...This place is pretty eerie…" Amber whispered quietly as she walked on, looking calm and how she would normally just be strolling through a forest, but her muscles tensed, and she found herself looking around from the corner of her eyes, expecting something to appear. Zero nodded in agreement, turning into a Typhlosion to walk by her side protectively as the trees seemed to close in around them.

As the two walked, the fire type kept turning his head every-which-way, scanning the area for any sort of danger. The trees seemed to loom overhead as the shining light of the sun gave way to the silvery light of the moon that started to rise. The stars began to glitter overhead, even with the final bursts of orange from the sun's pulsing beat. Before long, as they wandered deeper into the misty forest, the sun reached it's final moments of life on the land.

The strange darkness that loomed over the forest seemed to grow stronger as they two walked on, the large Pokemon now had his mane flaring softly to illuminate the area around them, but Amber also got the impression it was also a warning. After a few minutes more of walking through the ominous trees, she found they were now walking up a small incline, the trees once again spreading out.

Once at the top, Amber was not surprised to see another tunnel with a gate. This gate was open, however, and on closer inspection she could see that the padlock of this one still had it's key wedged into it. The 'guy' must've opened it and left the key behind, she thought as she reach down to grab it. When she pulled on it to take it out, it wouldn't budge at all. Zero stepped forward with a soft growl, and Amber moved to the side to let the Typhlosion through. He grabbed the end of the key with both paws, braced one foot onto the lock, and gave it a mighty tug. As soon as he did that, Amber heard a distinctive snap!, and when Zero showed her the key with a perplexed grumble, the key had been broken clear in half, part of it still stuck inside the padlock.

Sighing, she took the end of the key anyways, giving Zero a reassuring pat as she walked through the cave's entrance, the Typhlosion padding along behind her. This cave was much shorter than the one before, because before long Amber found herself in a clearing, a peninsula of land surrounded on all sides by giant, tall cliffs of rock with only a small passage leading to another clearing to her right.

She walked casually towards the entrance to the next clearing when she heard a loud roar directly behind her. Turning around, Zero had transformed into a Pyroar, glaring at two beings that looked like a cross between a human and a Sneasel that had spent it's entire in a dark cave with only strange mushrooms to eat. The goblins glared at the duo, sizing up the Pyroar as they each hefted their wooden clubs. Zero growled low and fierce, his body low to the ground to spring into action at any moment, his teeth bared out in warning that the two ghouls better run or they were in trouble.

After a few moments of a tense staring contest, time in which Amber had slowly brought out her large knife she brought to cut the wood for the fire during their camping trip, one of the two monsters suddenly ran up to the Pyroar, ready to swing. Zero, being extremely agile in that form, easily dodged out of the way, swinging back around to trip it with his long, sweeping tail.

The ghoul fell to the ground in a daze, giving enough time for Zero to bite down on it's arm causing it to yelp in pain as, with a hard twist of his body and a strong flex of his neck muscles, threw the monster right into the cliff side. Hitting the rocky wall on it's back with a hard crack, it fell to the ground, sliding down, unconscious. Giving it a loud growl of defiance, Zero turned his feline head back to his trainer.

The other ghoul had charged up on Amber while Zero was distracted, clumsily holding up the wooden club to hit her hard with it. Seeing it coming, she ducked out of the way, and coming up next to it she kicked it in the side, hard. The ghoul yelped in pain as it staggered, clutching it's hurt ribcage. It glared, it's beady black eyes dark in blind rage. Giving a yell, it ran to her with it's club swinging wildly. As it neared, she stood completely still, half crouching, as she eyed its movement.

Just like all those bullies back home, she thought as it approached. Once it was in range, she leaned back with her hands on the ground, and as it slowed down to swing back it's club, she kicked it hard in the stomach. Time seemed to slow for a moment as the ghoul folded in on itself by her kick, then fell backwards a few feet, completely out.

Amber stood up as Zero padded next to her, his large, red mane brushing against her to prompt her into petting his head. He purred happily, and Amber smiled down at him, but was shocked when she looked up, the ghouls burst into dark particles of evil, fading into the air as the girl watched on in utter disbelief, but at this point the day had gone so weird she kind of felt surprised this shocked her.

"...Well, that was nice," She looked down to Zero who nodded again, sitting on his haunches next to her. She walked over to the place where the ghoul was previously before, but there wasn't a trace that it was there. Shivering at the thought of what type of beings burst into dark particles like that, she quickly turned her back on the spot. She looked to where the small passage was across the clearing, and casting a look at her partner she walked through the passage.

On the other side, the woods finally opened up, the large cliffs retreating back, opening wide. As she walked on with Zero flying overhead, having turned into a Fletchinder, she noticed a small stand on the right. A market stand? Out here? Confusion more than curiosity compelling her towards the stall, she cautiously walked over to it, Zero circling down to land on her shoulder, transforming into a Pachirisu. When she reached the stall, the small electric type jumped down, walking under the string that served as the border of the stall. Strangely enough, the stall seemed to be freshly stocked, but abandoned.

Two huge vats, each filled with a glistening red and yellow liquid respectively, dominated the opening of the stand, just underneath a small awning. Boxes and bags were stacked behind the vats on shelves that seemed to be built right into the cliff side. On a small peg that was attached right below the awning, a strange blue bird Pokemon-like creature sat perched, and as soon as the girl walked through a gap in the string, the bird opened it's wings and cried at her.

"Hey, welcome! Buy something, hey!" It said in an imitation that reminded Amber much like a Chatot. Okay, that's interesting… She quietly thought as she turned her attention to the vats full of liquid. The pale yellowish liquid appeared to be oil, just like what that guy had poured into the lantern when he gave it to her. The other vat, full of the strange red liquid that reminded her of fruit punch, was completely new to her. Though she would have loved to have taken some of that red liquid later, she felt bad since she had no idea where the shop owner was, and when she thought about it she didn't even think if this place used Pokedollars!

Shaking her head, she spotted a wooden box next to the vats. Crouching in front of it, it had a small sign on it with scribbled words that were illegible with an arrow pointing down at a small slit on the top of the box. Is that where you put the money as payment? She glanced up at the bird who sat on it's perch nonchalantly, occasionally slicking it's wing feathers as any winged Pokemon. This place is full of strange creatures… She turned her attention away from the box and strange creature above her, seeing a wooden post.

A sign stood on the right, just on the inside of the boundaries of the stand, but when Amber went to take a look at what it said, the words were in fact in a strange glyph-like alphabet, much like the language of the Unown. I've never seen letter like these anywhere before… Amber stared at the strange symbols that clearly represented something, but she had no idea what. Remembering, she took out a small blue journal with an attached mechanical pencil from one of the side pockets of the backpack, and flipping to the second page, she carefully copied down the symbols as best she could, thinking to ask that man from earlier about it later.

"Pachi, chi!" Hearing the call, Amber quickly snapped the small journal closed and turned around. She glanced around, but the white and blue-striped rodent was nowhere to be seen. She opened her mouth to call out, but then she spotted him a bit aways deeper into the clearing. He was jumping up and down near the edge of what seemed to be the edge of the woods, as the forest just dropped away into a misty abyss, trees far greater than anything she's ever seen before rising out of it's depths.

"Pachirisu, pachi!" He jumped up and down, pointing up a small wooden, curved bridge-like structure that led towards the nearest gigantic tree, ending at what appeared to be a small ledge cut out of it's thick trunk. Amber hopped over the small rope, and as she jogged towards Zero she could've sworn the bird said something along the lines of: "hey, come again, hey!" When she reached him, Zero turned around, jumping up and down as he kept gesturing to something at the end of the narrow, snaking bridge. Squinting at the ledge, she blinked in surprise at the vague shapes of movement, and in the distance she heard strangled cries, both human and not.

"Come on!" She yelled as she propelled herself onto the bridge as Zero transformed next to her, shaping into a Lucario. She and the blue jackal ran up the wooden bridge, which she quickly realized was in fact a hollowed out root that stretched from the huge tree and touched down at the base of the drop off. When she neared, she saw shadowy shapes and heard multiple voices and sounds, indicating to her that there must've been at least five individuals all on top of the cut-in ledge. As the sounds of fighting got louder, she pushed herself harder finally reaching the top, and the scene laid out before her made her slid to a halt as she breathed hard.

In the center of the circular ledge, a cylindrical cage held a boy and grey primeape much like the silver version of a Chimchar except much bigger, both of them yelling and decidedly unhappy about their predicament, the cage standing in between two pedestals. A large group of what looked exactly like the ghouls that attacked them earlier surrounded what looked like a person, but the ghouls blocked her view except for a flash of brunette hair. A broken wooden sword lay on the ground beside a lot of bodies of the fallen fiends, a bunch of them starting to burst into the strange, black particles.

Quickly deducing the situation in that moment, she turned to Zero who nodded in understanding before whipping out her knife and leaping at the nearest ghoul in front of her. It must have felt her presence just before her kick connected with it's back, because it turned around enough for the others to follow suit, confusion taking shape before the shock and rage. Her kick must have been pretty strong, because when the fiend fell to the ground with her foot on it's back, it didn't even try to move, completely out. The other ghouls around her turned to her, each pausing a moment before instincts won as they raised their clubs at her.

Zero had also gotten the attention of the rest of the ghouls as he had used Night Slash on the first of the ghouls, which was on the ground as he raised his paws at the approaching horde. When the first ghoul charged at him with it's waving club, the Lucario took a calm stance, and as soon as the fiend swung he eased by, side stepping it so it stumbled as it swung wide. Having readied a Brick Break, he swiftly jabbed at the ghoul at a few of the pressure-points on it's back, knocking it out. The next ghoul that came at him also widely swung, but was once again easily dodged and hit with a strong Focus Punch, knocking it out easily.

The others all warely surrounded Zero now, hesitating as the Lucario once again took a stance. The tension rose as nobody moved for a moment, all testing each other's will. Then, as a pin pops a bubble so easily, the ghouls all charged at once. Zero bent a knee, than sprang high above them, his arms out as he hovered in the air for a critical moment above the confused group of ghouls.

As gravity took over, he powered up an Earthquake, leaning downward to increase his speed. His body began to glow as he raised his right fist. By this point, the ghouls had figured out what was about to happen, beginning to scatter in hysterical confusion, but it was too late. With a loud crack, Bastion hit the wood, causing the entire tree to shake, wood splintering up around where he struck. The ghouls that had surrounded him were immediately knocked out, and everything else on the platform was knocked down, including Amber who had quickly dropped to a knee when she saw Bastion power up the Earthquake.

Once it was done and over with, Bastion turned to give Amber a thumbs up. She smiled back, also giving him a thumbs up, but when he glanced behind her and his expression changed, she also looked back, feeling a chill run down her spine. Turning around, her blood turned cold when she felt more than saw the bludgeon come down. Flinching away, she tensed and waited for the hit. But, it never came. Instead, she heard a sharp crack from behind.

Looking back, she sucked in her breath as she saw the ghoul stand there, mid-swing. It's eyes bulged, giving a blank stare, then teetered and fell forward, landing on the ground, unmoving. Looking up, she expected to see Bastion, but when she saw who it was, she was taken by surprise.

Standing behind her was the most interesting sight she has seen all day. A boy about her age stood in very nomadic-like clothing with dusty, golden hair. He wore sandals on his feet, and a white linen shirt, a green arm rest on his right arm with a blue band tied around his torso. In his hand, he held a long wooden sword, much different from the broken play-toy in her backpack. But, despite his uniquely pointed ears, the most interesting thing Amber found herself drawn to were his eyes; strikingly crystal blue, kind and loyal, but she saw they held a monumental bestial power within, waiting to be released.

As he glanced down at her, their eyes met. As she stares into them, her heart pulsed, and it definitely wasn't from looking at his handsome face. It was painful, yet had a strange, familiar warmth as her hand once again began to burn with an incredible vengeance. Ignoring the pain as best she could, Amber broke eye contact as she got up with help from Zero, though she still kept an eye on the boy.

"Um, are you alright?" She finally ventured. The tall boy kept silent but nodded with indiscernible emotions on his face, watching her and Zero who also watched back warily.

As she got up, she noticed the younger boy who must've gotten freed from the cage behind him, clinging to his shirt as he peeked out behind him. The boy's eyes peered up at her with his messy blond hair swept over them. As Amber looked at him, her eyes lit up as she remember something. She quickly dropped to a knee as she put her pack down. Opening it, she rummaged through them, the two boys watching curiously as Zero stood by her.

"Here we go," she muttered to herself as she took out the two pieces of the broken toy sword. Holding them out, she smiled kindly like she would to a wounded Pokemon. "I think these belong to you, right?" At this, the young boy stepped out from the older boy who just watched on. The younger stepped cautiously toward her with a hand still on the older, quickly taking the broken sword pieces before retreating back.

"Th-thank you," the younger boy told her, and she knew immediately he was very rattled about the whole situation with the attacking goblin-things.

"You're very welcome," she said, still smiling warmly. As she put her bag back on, she turned her attention to the older boy who still watched her, but Amber couldn't tell what was going through his mind at all; his face completely unreadable.

After a moment, she got the feeling of being watched. Looking up behind the two boys, on the rim of the ndent of the large tree, was the strange Mankey-like creature that must've also gotten freed from the cage, watching them with a pink flower in it's ear. A new species of Pokemon? Amber's eyes met its, and the girl got a strong feeling that it definitely was not a Pokemon. But, then what is it? She tilted her head in confusion, unaware of the strange looks the boys were giving her as she stared ahead. When they finally turned around to see what she was looking at, the Mankey-thing turned around with a small squeak-like noise, and jumped away.

….? Amber had no idea what to make of it. Then again, she had no idea what to make of the entirely strange situation she was finding herself in. Did I hit my head that hard when I fell from the cliff? She pondered, rubbing her head incredulously before finally looking back to find the boy's piercing blue eyes staring at hers. As they had a short but intense staring contest, a strange nagging in the back of her head caused her to knit her eyebrows together ever so slightly.

He looks pretty familiar… No, he looks VERY familiar. As the silence stretched, the two regarding each other with Zero and the young boy silently watching, Amber finally spoke up.

"Have… We met before?" She finally asked, eyeing the boy. He paused for a moment, staring through her as he thought, then silently shook his head when his eyes refocused, but as she turned away to check on Zero, she could've sworn something about his eyes made her think that maybe he wasn't telling the complete truth… Or it's just my imagination; it has been a really weird day, she thought to herself as the day's events replayed through her mind. Turning her attention to Zero, she put her hand on his head.

"Hey, bud, how do you feel?" She asked him gently. The Lucario grinned brightly, the excitement of such a battle still making it's course.

"Luc, lucario," he said with enthusiasm. Amber's smile widened as she pet his head, causing his tail to wag slightly.

"That's what I like to hear!" She said. Ah, it's been awhile since he battled, so he must've been excited… Which reminds me, she thought as she turned her attention back to the two boys. The older was now knelt in front of the younger, his broken sword in his hand with a very guilty look on his face.

"Sorry, Link, I knew I shouldn't have run off like that after the monkey…" The boy guiltily said, fiddling with the broken pieces of the toy sword. "If it weren't for you and the nice lady there, me and that monkey would've been goners! She actually was really nice, that monkey; she tried to protect me when the baddies first attacked us," he said sheepishly. Seeing that Amber was watching quietly, his face turned a little darker.

"Sorry for causing such a problem, miss….?" The young boy tilted his head. She just smiled warmly at him.

"Just call me Amber," she told him cheerfully, waving off the apology. "Besides, I was more than happy to help; you should always help others in need," she told him with her finger pointed upwards, winking at the boy. He nodded, his eyes wide with what seemed to be newfound respect. She straightened her back, turning her attention to the older boy once again. Glancing at the night sky, the moon shining brightly overhead, her thoughts wandered.

This night sky…. Seems to be different from usual, she thought, and as she looked at the unimaginably bright stars, the amount much more than she has ever seen. The stars shone brightly above, not dimmed from light pollution, and she could've sworn she could see a band of stars that look pictures from a book showing the milkyway bands at night.

Am I truly in a different region? Or… Am I even in the same time? Did we travel back in time or something? She glanced at the boys who were still conversing; well, more like the younger boy was talking while the older just nodded every once in awhile. Their clothes certainly makes it seem like we traveled back in time. She thought, uneasiness growing inside. Sensing his partner's shift in attitude, Zero placed a paw on her arm, causing her to look down at him.

"Lucario," he simply said, a warm smile on his face that Amber couldn't help but return. Getting her enthusiasm back she placed her hand on his head.

"You're right, Zero; as long as we're together," she paused when she felt her bag shift, Bastion's and Elfear's Pokeballs rocking gently making her smile wider. "As long as we're all together, then we'll be fine. But first," She mumbled, turning to the boys. "We should at least figure out where we are," she told Zero who nodded as she took a step forward.

"Hey," she began as they stopped talking, turning their attention back to her, making her shift nervously before finally going on. "I have a few questions…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, okay, I know I'm not the best writer in the world when it comes to fight scenes, but... I tried. Anyways, sorry if that all felt rushed. I kind of actually wrote this in segments, going back and rewriting stuff to make it fit together, so it seems to be pretty fast paced.
> 
> As for Link and Talo... Well, let's face it, Link has never been the most.... Communicative character, so I'm trying to make him out not as a mute, but just a guy of few words, if that makes sense? Basically, he'll say something when he thinks it's necessary. (I guess words for him are in short supply.) 
> 
> And yes, all of Amber's Pokemon are shiny. I wasn't going to do that at first, only have either Bastion or Zero be shiny, but... Well, it ended up being shiny for them all, which isn't a bad thing, I suppose. :P Also, cookies to those who can guess what's in the Egg!
> 
> Anyways, R&R, thanks!


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elfear's found himself a fan, Amber finds her situation became a whole lot more complicated, and in the end she finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another chapter for OoT! (I just noticed the acronym is exactly like Ocarina of Time. Crazy coincidence, huh?) Anyways, really tired here, so... Yeah, happy reading, I suppose~

“So, this entire land is part of the Kingdom of Hyrule?” Amber asked in interest. The younger boy, whom she learned was named Talo, nodded.

“Yeah. Our village, Ordon Village, is in the part of Hyrule called Ordona Province,” he explained. The older boy nodded in confirmation as the girl listened intently, Zero walking calmly by her side.

The small group were making their way back through the woods, now reaching the short tunnel which lead to the spring she woke up in. On the way, the stars slowly moved across the sky as the night deepened, the moon now fully out. The younger boy invited Amber to come back to the village for the night, and after she agreed once she consoled in Zero, they talked about their different homes. Well, more like Amber asked many questions about the land and dodged many of the younger boy’s about her own, thinking it’s probably best to avoid it for now, while the older boy, whom she found was named Link, and Zero quietly walked beside them.

“So, you really never been in Hyrule before?” The boy asked her, his eyes full of curiosity. Amber shook her head.

“Actually, I’m not sure where exactly is Hyrule,” she admitted. When she saw the boy’s shocked face, and earned a questioning look from Link, she felt compelled to explain herself. “Me and my friends were camping, but we fell off a cliff of a tall waterfall. I don’t remember much, but I when I woke up, I found that we were somewhere completely different than where we were. At first, I thought we must’ve been washed away by the water, but now… I’m not so sure,” she said contemplatively. I’m not lying, she reasoned with herself, I’m just not giving the whole truth. The boy gave her an incredulous look.

“You got washed away all the way here by some water? You must’ve been out cold for days!” Amber thought about this, then shook her head.

“I don’t think so; even though this land and the mountains we were in are completely different, it only felt like I out for maybe half a day,” she said, her head running loops as it tried to remember what happened after she fell from the cliff. At this, both the boys gave her mixed looks. After a few minutes of brooding silence, Talo looked over at Zero.

“By the way, what is Zero? I’ve never seen a person like that!” He said as he looked at the Lucario. The Pokemon continued on placently, giving the younger boy a glance with his intelligent eyes. At this, it was Amber’s turn to be shocked.

“You’ve never seen a Pokemon before?” She asked him. Talo shook his head, and when she glanced up at Link, he, too, shook his head. Thinking for a moment, she reached into her messenger bag and pulled out the other two Pokeballs. Pressing the small button in the middle, the boys watched with wide eyes as they popped open, two beams of red light appearing on the ground before the forms of Bastion and Elfear appeared. The Bagon and Honedge both gave their own versions of yawns, stretching before looking up quizzically at Amber and her companions.

“These are Pokemon; Zero is one, too,” she told them as she put away the Pokeballs. The boys only stared in wonder at the two small forms on the ground. Of the two, both the boys seemed to be really interested in Elfear. The Honedge regarded them quietly, his red blade gleaming through the small, detailed holes of his scabbard with his long red and purple tassel floating softly. The younger of the two boys bent down in front of the two Pokemon, looking at them with eyes wide with curiosity. When he slowly reached his hand forward to grab Elfear’s scabbard, the Ghost and Steel type regarded him suspiciously, but luckily Amber caught on before anything happened.

“Wait, that’s a really bad idea,” she told the boy. He immediately jerked back his hand, looking up at her with eyes full of questioning. She gently reached down picked up the Honedge, holding him gently as she stroked his scabbard, making him close his eyes in happy appreciation.

“Elfear here is a Pokemon called a Honedge; unless they really trust you, they don’t like being touched all that much,” she explained to him as she bent down, picking up Bastion with her other free hand. “And this is Bastion; he’s a Pokemon called a Bagon,” she told them as he nestled in the crook of her arms. Talo’s eyes lit up when she told him that.

“Oh, so Pokemon are like animals because there’s many different types?” The younger boy concluded, looking up at her for confirmation. Amber, however, just blinked. Animals? Are those like that strange Mankey-thing that was captured with this boy earlier? She glanced down to see him still looking up for some sort of response. Might as well play it safe for now….

“Yes, they are,” she simply confirmed. Probably, anyways. The younger boy nodded as he stole glances at her three Pokemon as they continued on. 

“But, I’ve never seen anything like E-Elfee?” He said, struggling a bit. Amber smiled good naturedly.

“Elfear,” she corrected kindly. The Honedge was currently floating near them, listening to Bastion as the Bagon ran around, exploring while staying relatively close to the group, Zero watching to make sure they didn’t wander off. 

“Yeah, I’ve never seen anything like Elfear,” the boy stressed the Honedge’s name as he tried to make sure he pronounced it correctly. “He looks just like a sword!” Talo exclaimed excitedly. Link also seemed to have taken interest in the Ghost and Steel type, remaining quiet as he listened to Amber talk.

“Well, a Honedge is actually a sword, technically…” Amber paused, trying to think of an easy way to explain the Pokemon’s biology. At this, Elfear noticed Amber’s uncomfortable shifting as she smiled nervously, eyebrows creased in hard thinking. He promptly floated up to the small group, causing them to pause on the path. “What is it, Elfear?” Amber asked as she bent down, the others faces also sharing her interest and confusion.

“Clng-clnk,” The Honedge looked up at Amber before unsheathing. His red blade gleamed in the moonlight as his long tassel wrapped around his sheathe behind him. The two boys stared down at the Honedge, the shock on their faces very clear before Talo spoke for both of them.

“Whoa, that’s amazing!” He said as he looked at him with amazement. “He’s exactly like a sword, a really cool one!” He said as he crouched down, looking at the Honedge who floated unsheathed for a few seconds before smoothly and elegantly re-sheathing himself. Amber giggled a little, smiling as Elfear floated back over to her.

“Yes, well, Elfear here is a little show-off, now aren’t you?” She asked, still smiling now with a mischievous glint. Elfear just rolled his eye as she picked him back up, wrapping his long tassel around her arm in affection. Bastion, feeling a bit left out, ran up to the group, running around in between their legs as they continued on. 

As they walked on, Amber quietly hummed to herself as her mind drifted, not noticing the observant glances that Link kept giving her. After awhile, they finally crossed the bridge, after she returned Bastion and Elfear to their Pokeballs much to the boy’s amazement, to find the spring Amber first found herself in. Remembering it, she paused at the gate which was now closed. 

“Oh, it was this one; this was this spring I woke up in,” Amber said as she gazes at the flowing waters, thinking back to the strange talking being she first met, and now she was sure it wasn’t a Pokemon. The boys stopped, and Talo gaped at her.

“You woke up in the Spirit Spring?” He asked, a mix of astonishment and amazement on his face. Amber nodded, a bit confused.

“Um… Yes? I have no idea how I ended up here, but I’m sure I woke up here…” ...And talked to a strange glowing thing, she added in her head, thinking it’s probably best to keep that last bit to herself for now. 

“Wow, that’s super crazy! To just wind here from somewhere far away,” Talo told her as they continued on, Amber taking a long glance at the spring before following. After a while, they reached a short passage between some high cliffs, and when they emerged on the other side, Amber was surprised to see a giant treehouse in the moon’s light. As she looked at the structure in amazement, she didn’t notice a man approaching till he called out to the trio.

“Link; Talo?” The man called, and when Amber turned around to see, she found herself looking at a weathered man with his face full of relief. “Talo! Thank the goddesses you’re alright,” he said, the relief overflowing from his voice as he leaned down and hugged the smaller boy tightly. The boy, though surprised at first, hugged right back. At the reunion, Amber smiled a small smile. He must’ve been really worried, she thought as she silently watched. The father let go of the boy, his face now a scold.

“You and I are a having a long talk later,” he sternly told Talo who looked down at the ground guiltily, clutching the broken toy sword behind his back. The man turned to Link, his eyes reflecting the gratefulness he felt, and Link just nodded back with a smile of his own before the man and Talo walked down another path, Talo glancing back the two briefly before turning a corner and disappearing from view.

When he left, Amber suddenly realized the position she was put in; she and the tall blonde boy were alone together, and she had no idea where she was going to sleep. When he turned to her, she immediately turned to look at the surrounding cliffs, as it seemed that the tree that was the base for the treehouse was in a little canyon with the rest of the forest up above. She walked over to one of the bases of the cliffs, looking up as she judged how high it was.

“Okay, so I’m going to go sleep up under one of those trees up there,” she said to him, answering the unasked question she knew he was going to pose on her. “Let’s see…” she looked along the cliffside the best she could in the dark of night. I’ve had plenty of experience with rock-climbing, this should be simple enough… she said as she spied a nice lip dip in the cliffside, and reach up and grabbed it, making sure it was steady.

Though she was unnerved at rock climbing without any gear, she slowly grabbed each handhold she could find in the cliffside which was relievingly enough a lot, careful as she placed her feet with each step. After a few feet, she started to feel a bit more confident, more sure of herself as she continued up. 

Underneath her, she heard feet crunching grass, and guessed Link must’ve been somewhere behind her, watching her as she continued up. Amber, you know better than to look down when you do this sort of thing, her common sense scolded her as she shook her head to resist the feeling. But, she knew overconfidence was a bad thing, and before long when she was about to reach the top… Crack!

Before she knew what was happening, Amber’s handhold crumbled, and gravity took over as her body tilted away from the cliffside. What? Was the only thought that went through her mind as she felt herself fall. Knowing it wasn’t that long of a drop but still a good distance, she instinctively shut her eyes to brace herself for impact that was definitely going to hurt.

Again? Seriously? Her inner-consciousness yelled frustratingly amongst the panic-filled thoughts that raged through her head a few seconds before she hit the ground. Right when she thought she was going to hit the hard floor… 

“Oomph!” She grunted as her landing was… soft? Not soft exactly, but much less painful than what she expecting. Blinking open her eyes cautiously, she looked up to see the sky, and when she looked down… “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” she yelled as she quickly got up to her feet, albeit unsteadily. Link sat up rubbing his head as he looked up at her, his face showing something that was very close kin to ‘I told you so.’ Immensely embarrassed and mortified, Amber scratched the back of her head as she looked away.

Ugh, I seriously need to stop giving other’s trouble like this, she reprimanded herself as Link got back up. She shifted a bit nervously from foot to foot, feeling increasingly uncomfortable as the silence grew between the two, and she could feel his eyes burn into her head as she continued to look away. Not being able to take it anymore, she glanced meekly up.

“Sorry..” she offered again, only taking short glances at the taller boy. He just huffed, but didn’t move. “I-I’ll just go and search for a camp spot somewhere by the spring…” she said as she quickly ducked out of the way, speed walking over to the path that lead to the spring and the rest of the forest. 

But before she got even a few meters away, she felt something tug on her backpack. Looking back and still feeling incredibly mortified, she saw Link holding onto the edge of her backpack. He met her eyes, then pointed at the treehouse. Realizing what he was suggesting, she felt her blood boil again.

“Um, no, I really don’t want to cause you anymore trouble,” she told him, shaking her head in a definite ‘no’, as her embarrassment ran high. Instead, he rolled his eyes, then let go of her bag, opting to grabbing her hand and pulled her with him as he walked over to the nailed boards that served as the ladder to the treehouse. Again, feeling her blood run hot, she struggled to resist, still protesting, but he was much stronger than her and her protests all seemed to fall on deaf ears. 

Once he reached the ladder, he let go of her hand and crossed his arm, nodding at the ladder before staring at her with those piercing, blue eyes. When she opened her mouth to protest again, she met his eyes and could instantly tell he would not take ‘no’ as an answer. She sighed heavily in defeat before moving to climb up the ladder, muttering an apology and thanks under her breath. Ugh, I HATE troubling others, and this has to be one of the worst ways to do just that, she thought unhappily in her head as she climbed upwards. 

Once she reached the top, she climbed up onto the ledge in front of the door and waited for Link to join her, because even though she’s being basically forced to spend the rest of the night here, she adamantly refused to walk into someone else’s home just like that without him entering first. I may be forced to sleep here, but there’s no way I’m going to act any ruder or more terrible than I’ve already done, she told herself with determination. 

Once he was up, he glanced at her curiously before walking inside, Amber pausing only a moment as she considered to just sneak away now and find a nice tree to sleep under, but sighed again knowing that would be very rude to Link’s hospitality, and walked into the treehouse, feeling incredibly tired all off a sudden. Inside, she looked around, but couldn’t see much because of the shadows cast from the night, the only source of light being the moonlight that shined through a few windows, but it didn’t give her much of a good sense of the layout of treehouse. 

As she stood by the door, not sure what to do, she heard a bit of rustling as she saw a shadowy figure approach her. Recognizing the quiet boy as he neared, she raised her eyebrows a bit in confusion before he held out a bundle, and when she cautiously held out her hands, he placed the bundle in them. Blinking in surprise, she realized the bundle to be a blanket, and a really nice fleecy one, too. Looking back up, she saw Link motion for her to follow as he headed into the interior of the house. Feeling she didn’t have much of a choice at this point, followed after him quietly, but still felt really mortified for this entire situation.

He stopped in front of another ladder, indicating for her to climb it. Guessing that arguing at this point was useless, she sighed through her nose before draping the blanket over a shoulder and climbing up. First thing tomorrow, I’m leaving, because there’s no way I’m going to stay and bother him or anyone else like this any longer, she resolutely thought in her mind. 

Once she climbed the ladder, she waited on the little ledge as Link also climbed, and once he made it he pointed at the next ladder which Amber gratefully found to be the last. After she climbed it, she found she was actually in the highest point of the treehouse, though she couldn’t see any details of it with only the small sliver of moonlight cascading down from the window next to the bed she found herself facing. This time, Link only came up to the top of the ladder, and when Amber looked down, he indicated the bed.

“You want me to sleep on here?” She looked at the large bed. The blond-haired boy nodded. “But… are you sure?” She asked, still feeling a bit distressed about the whole thing. He again rolled his eyes before climbing back down. Feeling a bit helpless, Amber stood rooted to the spot, but after a few seconds, exhaustion was winning the losing battle she faced, and so she carefully sat on the bed’s edge, putting down the backpack and messenger bag.

Sigh… I hope tomorrow brings some better answers, because nothing today has made a single lick of sense, she thought as she slowly laid back in the bed, spreading the blanket he gave her around her. She turned towards the window, staring at the stars and the moon. Closing her eyes, she felt herself begin to drift to sleep. Maybe I’ll wake up from this strange dream…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, Amber, you really need to get your act together or something! (Though I have to admit I, too, would be a bit mortified if suddenly I literally fell on someone I just met and then found out I have to spend the night over at their place. Would probably be a bit awkward, if you could imagine.) But, seriously, she needs to work on her trust and dependent issues, because being independent is good and all, but man, she needs to learn to lean on people at times.
> 
> Though I realize this is mostly a filler, I thought it necessary since it actually brings a whole lot of important stuff that will impact big later on, so sorry about that, I suppose.
> 
> Anyways, R&R, and happy reading/writing, my fellow readers/writers!


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like learning your way around town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Yeah, I know, I should update my other stories, but I just felt really creative and itching to write this one since out of my stories, I think this one is my personal favorite! Anyways, a pretty long chapter, but I hope you enjoy!

Amber awoke to the sound of bird Pokemon singing and the feeling of the warm sun on her face. Groaning softly, she turned on her side, blinking out the window at the harsh sunlight. As her eyes got used to the light, her head slowly cleared.

When everything that happened yesterday came rushing back to her, she immediately sat up, a wave of nausea hitting her as she stared out the window at the unfamiliar forest. That's right, I'm in a different place, she thought as she watched a strange Pidgey-like creature flit by the window. There are no Pokemon here; maybe I've really traveled back in time or something. But as she thought about it, she frowned. Wait, wasn't there Pokemon in ancient times, too? Then… Why… She looked around, but the confusion made her head hurt. Well, there's no point in thinking too hard about it right now; for now, I have to figure out where I am at least before anything else.

With renewed resolve, she moved to get up when her stomach growled with a fiery vengeance. Ugh, I forgot I haven't eaten anything in a long while, she groaned inwardly. Glancing at the bags next to the bed, she reach down and, after moving the egg gently to the side, rummaged through till her hands found a familiar box. Picking the plastic container up, she smiled happily when she found the berries still safe inside. Opening it, she popped an oran berry in her mouth, relishing the sweet juices.

Ah, much better, she thought after eating a few more. Once she ate her fill, the girl thought it would probably better to get off the ledge she was on before taking out her Pokemon to feed them. Putting the container away and carefully moving the egg back in it's place, she carefully smoothed out the bed, folding the blanket and placing it neatly on top. Putting on the backpack and messenger, she carefully climbed down the two wooden ladders. Once she was on the ground floor, she turned around and immediately took in the sight of the treehouse she didn't see last night.

The house itself was a magnificent piece of craftsmanship. Everything was clearly hand-built and handmade, with the wood giving it a very cozy and homey feeling. Though the floor was mainly wood, a few rugs were spread about with the floor shifting to rock to hold up a large cooker that looked much like the ones Amber's seen on TV of native ovens in the desert. A few buckets lay about next to some dressers and cabinets against the more or less circular walls with large drapes and tapestry-like cloth hanging on the walls. The door itself was clearly hand-carved with a round top instead of the rectangular shape she was used to.

But, as she looked around, the one thing that caught her eye was a large blue chest sitting near the middle of the entire house, facing the door. Walking over to it, she looked at the strange yet somehow elegant design. The main body of the chest was a deep blue, much like looking at the deep ocean, with the seems and legs of it encased in some type of gold-colored metal which was intricately carved. On the top above the latch, a graceful design swirled outwards towards the edges of the case.

A… chest? I've never seen one like this before, she thought as she stood back up. Her eyes wandered to the back of the house, landing on the tips of a ladder that disappeared down to what she guessed must've been some sort of basement.

Eyeing it curiously, she quickly realized that she was alone; Link was nowhere to be seen. Where did he go? She looked about curiously, but as far as she could tell, he was gone. Walking outside, she carefully closed the door behind her. Looking out from the slightly raised vantage point, she found she could almost just barely see the tops of what she thought to be the purple-ish roofs of houses. That's right, Talo did mention there was a village… Ordon village, I think? She thought as she turned her head towards the other path that lead into the forest. And the spring I woke up in is somewhere over there… Uncertainty washed over her as she looked between the two paths, wanting to ask around the village for any helpful information, but also wanting to head out since she most certainly didn't want to overstay her welcome. But, before she could decide, a familiar voice called her over.

"Amber!" The voice called, and when she looked she saw Talo standing at the edge of the path that lead to the village, waving her over. Smiling, she waved back as she climbed down the steps and walked over to the young boy.

"What's up, Talo?" She asked when she made her way over.

"Amber! Come with me, I want to show you somethin'!" He said excitedly, tugging on her arm. Smiling, she nodded as he led her down the path, chatting excitedly about a whole bunch of things Amber didn't even have a clue as to what they were. After a few minutes, she found herself turning into the entrance of the village. Well, it seems the choice was made for me, she thought as she continued to follow the excited boy.

When she walked into the village, he turned to her. "You wait here, I'll be right back!" He said as he headed off before she could say anything. Shaking her head with a smile, she took the moment to look around the village.

Ordon village wasn't particularly big in any means, but it covered a good sized area. From where she stood, she counted four or five different houses, each a bit different though similar to each other. Two had pointed roofs, the smaller being the purple she saw earlier with the other being more of a grey with a windmill attached to the side in a large pool that lead down from a creak that seemed to almost come out of the rocky wall that encased the village, and one house seemed to have the tree grow over it.

Looking about in amazement, Amber spotted a few people she guessed were villagers going about their morning. Before long, she noticed Talo coming towards her followed by a few other kids.

"That's Amber, she and her Pokemans are super cool!" Amber smiled when she heard Talo tell the others as they neared her, the smile growing wider at hearing the mispronounced name for her Pokemon. When they reached her, the two others looked up at her with a mix of what she thought was awe, suspicion, and interest.

"Hello," she told the two kindly. Talo beamed up at her before turning to the others..

"This is Malo, my younger brother," He said when he pointed to the youngest of the four. The small boy looked up at her with what she assumed must be a permanent scowl, as he regarded her with a heavy but not unkind stare.

"And this is Colin," Talo turned to a blond boy who fidgeted nervously when she turned to him. He only glanced up sheepishly at her, and she instantly knew he must be the most nervous boy of the group.

"And she is Beth, but I'm sure she's actually a demon," Talo added in a whisper that Amber was sure was purposefully loud enough for the lone girl to hear, watching in mild amusement when she glared daggers at the boy. "I was telling them about how you and your friends and Link helped me yesterday, and how your awesome friends are called Pokemon!" He turned to her with awe in his voice. Amber's smile grew again, this time a bit meekly.

"Yeah, well, it's not like we couldn't just stand there and watch, right?" She said as if it was just an obvious thing. "Oh, but between me and my friends, I think the one who most deserves praise is…" she paused as she dug into her messenger bag, "... this guy." She pushed the small button and released Zero who came out and immediately took the form of a Hawlucha, much to their surprise.

"Woah! Which of your friends is that!?" Talo said as he stared at the Fighting/Flying type. Blinking in confusion for a second, Amber broke into a smile when she realized why Talo didn't recognize him.

"Nope, this is actually Zero," she told them, and at a nod to her companion, he jumped up and with a swift change, landed as a Lucario again. She chuckled at the astonished look on their faces. "Zero is a special Pokemon called Ditto that can transform into… Well, basically anything, as long as he's seen it first," she told them. They all gaped at the Lucario as he again transformed, this time into a Greninja.

"Ooh, can he turn into one of us, then?" Beth asked excitedly. Amber smiled at Zero who glanced at her momentarily, then transformed. This time, he was an exact copy of Colin, who's jaw almost completely hit the ground. The four stepped closer, looking at the Zero in amazement.

"H-he looks just like me," Colin said as he looked at his duplicate in wonder. Amber smiled, because even with the now human body, Zero kept his more or less passive expression, but when he met her eyes, he smiled slightly back. After a few minutes of the kids ogling over the Ditto, Amber felt her bag jerk, and looking down, she saw the other two Pokeballs wiggle a bit. Before she could reach in, they burst open as Elfear and Bastion appeared on the ground, drawing the attention away from Zero who again turned back to a Lucario. Amber scolded down at them.

"Bastion, Elfear, you know it's bad to just leave your Pokeballs like that," she half-heartedly scolded the two who both looked sorry but she could tell they weren't really sorry at all as the kids crowded around them. As Amber stood back, watching happily as her dearest friends seemed to be honestly happy and enjoying themselves as the kids played with them, she noticed one of the older villagers head towards her. He nodded at her when they made eye contact, and she just ducked her head in greeting before returning her gaze to the group.

When she looked back at him, he met her eyes, and noticed a curious twinkle in them. He must be one of their fathers, she thought as she noticed the fatherly look on his face when he looked at the kids. When he glanced back at the kids and the Pokemon playing together, she took the moment to take a long look at this new villager.

The man was pretty tall and lean, but she could sense the strength in him as he crossed his arms. He wore a similar outfit to the rest of them, handmade and well outfitted for village life. He wore sandals on his feet, and a white headband around his head. A carefully trimmed mustache bordered his mouth and angled upwards on his high cheeks. He's probably Colin's father, she guessed as she saw the same blue eyes and blond hair. But the most striking feature about was the thing he carried over his shoulder; a brown, carved scabbard with the handle of the short sword sticking out at the end.

Did I really travel back in time? Or, am I somewhere else? Amber thought as she eyed the weapon before turning back to the group, but she wasn't paying any attention to what was happening as she buried herself in her thoughts. If I did travel back in time, it's a known fact even then Pokemon existed; heck, Pokemon have existed since the dawn of the universe! She thought as a picture of the mythical Arceus and the other legendaries popped in her head. Then, if I didn't travel through time, where am I?

Again, she closed her eyes and thought back to a few days before when she first fell from the cliff. There was the waterfall, and the rock broke… Everyone fell in with me… And then… A voice, I think… Yeah, a voice! Somebody called out to me, but who?... Ugh… She shook her head softly, frowning. I woke up in the spring…. There was that strange legendary Pokemon-thing that could talk… But none of this answers my question as to where am I and how I got here! She felt her eyebrows knit together as she opened her eyes, feeling more than a little frustrated.

Sighing heavily, she looked back up to watch the kids and Pokemon play together, but still her attention was elsewhere as her thoughts clouded together. Zero noticed her frustration, and escaping from the group when they were distracted by Bastion's little balancing-rock trick, made his way over to his friend. Amber was so deep in thought she didn't even notice Zero's approach till he was literally right in front of her. Blinking out of her thoughts, she smiled curiously at the now Scyther. He just looked at her, than took his place by her side, causing her to smile brightly.

"Hm, I'm going to go ahead and take a stab when I say you must be the girl Talo told Colin about." Breaking out of her thoughts again, Amber glanced up at the man. Though he was still looking at the group, she saw him glance at her with a curious and bright twinkle in his eyes that matched the small smile he wore. Oh, so he is Colin's father after all. She thought quietly, but when she realized she hadn't answered his implied question, she just nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed again.

"I guess," she muttered as she absently stroked the green Pokemon's head who closed his appreciatively. "Though, I have to say the most praise should go to Link and Zero here," she said as she again stroked his head, but this time with heartfelt friendship. The man nodded, glancing down at the Scyther.

"I must say, I didn't believe it when I overheard Talo telling Colin about your friends, but it seems I was wrong. But, in any case, I forgot to introduce myself, haven't I?" He said as he turned to her fully now. With a slight bow, he winked at her. "I am Rusl, a renowned swordsmith all across Hyrule," he said with an exaggerated tone, eyeing her with a mischievous glint that Amber couldn't help but giggle a bit at.

"And I'm Amber, a world renowned explorer," she said with an exaggerated bow, deciding in a silly impulse to play along. Feeling a bit more relaxed, she smiled at him happily. Well, maybe this isn't all that bad; I've always wanted to go someplace I've never gone before, she thought as the ever trying optimist. Rusl's eyes relaxed visibly, reflecting his calm interior.

"Well, Ms. Famous-Explorer, I want to thank you." She wasn't expecting that. Amber looked up at the older man in surprise, but his face held nothing but warmth and gratitude, which made her feel embarrassed all over again. Cursing her bad social skills, she looked back as the Pokemon and the kids now were playing tag, and it seemed Bastion and Elfear had the upper hand.

"Well, as I said, I didn't do much at all, really; if it wasn't for Zero, honestly I don't think I would have been brave enough to just jump into the fray like that," she meekly said. But after a second of silence, she added under her breath "though honestly I actually would've probably done it anyways, truth be told…" as she thought back to all the times she jumped into fights, so much her friends told her she should be careful, but she just couldn't help it; Amber was definitely not a person to sit back and watch a fight unfold. It seemed the older man caught the last part, for he just smiled slightly, still keeping his eyes forward.

"I still want to thank you. Now, what are you going to do?" Confused at the sudden question, she looked up at him. Meeting his blue eyes, strong but not nearly as intense as Links, she considered it. Breaking eye-contact, her face became more perplexed as she thought about it.

"...I don't know, really. I want to get home, but…" She paused as she glanced around the village and the surrounding scenery, much of it so similar back home but all of it completely new and foreign. "But… I have no idea how to do it or where to begin." She sighed heavily. It seemed she's been doing that a lot lately. "It's not that I don't know where my home is, it's just that… I actually just don't know where here is," she admitted. Rusl thought about this for a few moments, but then thoughtfully turned to the other end of the village. After a moment, he smiled kindly at her.

"For now, how about I show you around the village?" He offered. Amber felt herself immediately perk up, the tension that was weighing her down lift up a bit.

"That would be great, thank you!" She said happily, smiling widely back.

0o0o0

"Did that really happen?" Amber said with mild disbelief, amusement written across her face. Beth nodded, Talo putting his hands behind his head as he laughed.

"Boy, was our parents mad!" He said, smiling his big goofy smile. The rest of the kids all shared his joyful glee, all except for Malo who just mumbled grumpily about being grounded. The group of kids was enjoying their time telling stories to the new visitor who quickly gained the trust of them, and inadvertently the rest of the village as well.

The kids and Rusl were more than happy to show her around the village, meeting the various villagers including Rusl's wife, Uli, and the village's mayor, whom was a bit surprised at first at meeting the foreign and strangely dressed girl, quickly opened his arms to her after seeing how much the others trusted her. The entire time, she enjoyed listening to the kids and villagers talk about different things that happen in the village and the surrounding area, the kids occasionally whispering 'secret spots' that they were sure the grownups didn't know about, but she begged to differ when she met Rusl's eyes who seemed to hear everything they told her.

Overall, it was a very fun day, despite the worry in the back of her mind over what she was going to do to find a way to get home. The villagers were all very surprised when they saw Zero and the other Pokemon, but seemed to quickly get used to it. They must be used to strange things happening suddenly around here, she specifically remember thinking.

When midday rolled around, she was quite surprised when they offered her their homemade food, including cheese made from the milk of what she thought looked very much like the cross between a Tauros and a Gogoat. When she showed them some of the various berries, the kids were a bit hesitant to try them, but after seeing Amber and her Pokemon enjoying them, they finally caved in and were surprised to find they liked them a lot.

After feeling a bit triumphant to have them get to like the berries, Malo came up with the idea of taking some of them, particularly the Oran and Sitrus berries since they seemed to like them the most, and planting them so they can grow their own berry trees. Amber thought it was a great idea, and when they planted them in a small plot of land next to the little pumpkin patch, she warned them that these berry trees grow quickly and need to be watered every once in awhile so they can grow healthy and produce a lot of the fruit. Once the berries were all planted, Zero having turned into a Panpour and used Water Gun by his tail to water the hard ground the berries were planted in much to the delight of the kids, they spent the rest of the day playing around and just enjoying themselves.

Now, they were all sitting under the tree near the watermill and the small reservoir of the village. They all spoke animatedly while Amber's Pokemon ran around, having fun with the strange animals she found to be called a dog and a cat, who also found the Pokemon quite interesting as well. It was now getting late in the day, the sun now beginning to slowly cast the sky in an orange tint.

"Amber, I want to talk to you about something," Rusl waved her over. She smiled, and told the kids she'd be back, leaving them and the Pokemon to play. When she walked over, he was standing near the small bridge, waiting patiently for her.

"What's up?" She asked. She knew all day he wanted to talk to her about something, but he wouldn't say anything till now. He began to walk across the bridge to the front of the mayor's house, and she followed close behind. He remained silent for a minute, his face deep in thought before finally turning to her.

"I want you to go with Link to Hyrule Castle," he finally said after a moment. At this, she paused. She wasn't expecting that.

"Go with Link to Hyrule Castle? Why?" She asked, feeling more than a little confused. Isn't Hyrule Castle where the king of Hyrule lives? Why should I go there with Link?

"I've asked Link to deliver a sword I made as a gift for the royal family, and I want you to accompany him on his journey." Amber tilted her head, her eyebrows knit together in confusion, but before she could voice her thoughts, the older man raised his hand before going on. "The reason is, is that I believe the royal family may know how to get you home, since you clearly live very far away from the kingdom," he said, answering her unvoiced question. She paused, thinking about this.

He has a point, you know, her inner conscience said, and it was right; if anyone knew where or how she could get home, the royal family should, right? After a moment, she nodded in agreement.

"I really don't have any other choice, and if that's my best shot at getting us home, then I'll take it." She said adamantly. Even if I can't make it home, I'll get the other home no matter what! She thought with determination rising in her. Rusl smiled at her, noticing her sudden shift in attitude and determined look.

"Alright, then I'll let Link know when he gets back… Ah, there he is," he said as he turned towards the other entrance to the village they told her led to the Ordon Ranch. When she turned around, she immediately saw the blond boy riding through the gate on what looked like the brown, non-flaming version of a Rapidash. That must be Link's horse, Epona, she remembered when the kids had explained to her Link's faithful companion and mount. As he neared, she began to walk over to him with Rusl, and watched with mild interest when a girl about her age stepped out of the mayor's house and ran to greet the boy.

"That's Ilia, the mayor's daughter," Rusl told the girl as the waited for Link to come over, the mayor now standing out as well. Oh, she's the mayor's daughter. She thought as she watched the two talk animatedly, which made Amber feel more than a bit rumpled. He has no problem talking with her, but he can't speak a single word to me? That's just rude, she thought grumpily, but decided to just let it pass when he jumped off of Epona's back and head towards them, Ilia staying to pet the horse's nose, not taking notice of the strangely dressed foreign girl.

"Today's the day, Link. Now, this gift is very important, since the royal family specifically asked for it." The boy nodded as Mayor Bo paused, Rusl stepping forward with Amber close behind him. "Me and Rusl have been talking, and we think it would be best if Amber came with you so she can speak with the royal family to find her way home," he told the tall boy as Amber stepped forward, casting a glance at Link who only have her a fleeting glance, causing her to frown a little. Geeze, what am I, the plague? She thought as she tried to ignore the boy and continue listening to the mayor.

"Now, you two, it's very important that you get the gift to Hyrule Castle in time. It may take a day or two to get, there, but definitely no more than three. Rusl and Uli have already packed you some items that you might need for the journey," he explained to the two. While he did, Ilia lovingly smoothed the horse's maine.

"I know it's a long journey, my dear horse, but please bear Link safely," she told the equine animal. Epona regarded the girl back with large, intelligent eyes, her ears flickering. As the girl pet the horse, she glanced down at the horse's legs, and noticed one of the knees appeared a bit red. Bending down, she angrily glared at the wound on Epona's leg.

"Link! Epona's hurt, isn't she?!" Ilia suddenly turned around to the group, startling them as she stepped forward in fury. The tall boy winced, guilt clear across his face as Amber, Rusl, and Mayor Bo stepped out of the way of the angry girl. Her short, golden hair flounced slightly as her clear blue eyes regarded Link in rage.

"She got injured from jumping fences today, didn't she?! You were pushing her too hard again!" She accused him, giving him no time to respond. Mayor Bo courageously stepped forward, holding his hands up almost defensively.

"Now, now, Ilia. There's no need to be so mad at Link," he began, but she roughly turned on him.

"Father!" She said, now accusing him, as well. The two hanged their heads in shame as she yelled at them. "You two are a bunch of children! When are you going to grow up?!" She yelled at them in a huff, Rusl and Amber standing clear from the line of fire.

"She's… Very harsh with them, huh?" Amber whispered to Rusl while Ilia yelled at the pitiful two. Rusl smiled, half amusingly and half nervous.

"Well, something like that. Though I definitely wouldn't tell her that if I were you," he winked at her, but she felt that he was almost being serious about it.

"...I'll just take your word for it," she said as she brushed some of her long, sweeping brown hair out of her face. She watched as Ilia walked away from the two, mildly amused when the two guys glanced at each other in a knowing look. But, she did raise her eyebrows in surprise as she began to lead Epona away, the others also sharing her shock.

"...We'll get you fixed up and better in the spirit's spring," Amber heard her say as she walked away, leading the horse by the reigns. They all stared after as she and the horse walked towards the entrance of the village.

"Ilia, wait! Ilia-ah, well this won't do at all," Mayor Bo sighed, looking at the three who just stood there. Amber turned to him, trepidation written across her face.

"What're we going to do? Link needs Epona to get to Hyrule Castle in time, right?" She said as she turned to the boy, who still had a bit of a guilty look on his face. As she observed how he reacts to Ilia's accusations, a thought began to wander into her head. There's no way… Is there? She thought amusingly as she watched him, who looked a bit tortured.

"Yes, he has to get Epona back. Link you should head to Ordon Spring and try to convince Ilia for her to give back Epona," he told the boy, but Amber could see he really did feel bad about the whole injury thing. After watching his struggling face for a moment longer, she sighed, then began to walk past the small group, who looked after her in surprise as well. As she walked across the bridge, Zero jumped and landed next to her, having decided he was long enough away from his friend and leaving Bastion and Elfear to continue to keep the kids occupied. Lovingly petting the Lucario's head, she paused as she realized the three guys still staring after her, making her frown at them.

"Well? Aren't you going to come?" She stared challengingly right at Link, who blinked, his mesmerizing blue eyes taken by surprise for a moment, but the moment passed as he nodded, jogging over as Amber continued on her way. As the boy, girl, and Pokemon headed to the entrance of the village, Mayor Bo and Rusl watched them go quietly.

"...Do you think this is such a good idea? She doesn't seem to get along with Link too well…" Mayor Bo finally spoke. Rusl remained quiet for a moment, but then nodded slightly.

"I'm not entirely sure who she is or why she and her friends came here, but if anyone can solve that mystery, it'll be the royal family." They continued to watch the three as they left the village, Amber casting observant glances at the boy, neither of them seeming to say anything as they turned a corner through the passage and disappeared from view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! Over 5k words, a pretty good amount all things considering. I was actually going to keep going and make it longer, but then I realized how long it was already.
> 
> Anyways, R&R, thanks!


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amber and Link head to Ordon Spring to talk to Ilia, but tragedy strikes....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I'm just dishing out new chapters! Anyways, this is where things start to really pick up, and deviate a bit from the game. You'll see what I mean~ Enjoy!

“The spring is over there, right?” She pointed over at a rocky alcove, the very tips of the tendrils from the gates barely in view. Amber and Link had been walking through the woods, following the trail past his treehouse towards Ordon Spring where they were sure Ilia had taken Epona. The boy nodded, still not having said a word to the girl, who was starting to feel a bit frustrated at the lack of communication. Though honestly she was so used to trying to figure out what her Pokemon were saying that he didn’t need to talk for her to understand, but it was still kind of rude to just not talk to someone like that. 

As they walked over, they saw Colin, Talo, and the other kids playing together in the woods now, Bastion and Elfear with them. When Colin noticed the three walking over, he nervously walked up to them. 

“Hey, Link, Amber… You’re going to see Ilia, aren’t you? Do you… Do you think I can come to?” He asked shyly. Amber smiled at the nervous boy, and Link just nodded kindly with a small smile on his face. The smaller boy’s face instantly lit up as he walked happily with them, glancing with sparkling curiosity at Zero, the Lucario just giving him kind smiles.When they walked over to Talo, Malo, and Beth on the way to the spring, they turned to the four.

“Ooh, it was really exciting yesterday, chasing that monkey and all,” Talo said to Link happily. Malo just snorted. While they talked, the green Bagon and red Honedge came up to Amber, just as happy to see her as she was to see them. As she pet them and gave them a bit of love, the kids continued to talk with Link.

“Yeah, and you’re acting like you didn’t get caught?” He said sarcastically. Talo, however, just ignored him as he turned to Amber.

“Boy, if it wasn’t for you, Amber, and Zero, me and that monkey would’ve been lunch for those goblins! Which reminds me,” he said sheepishly as he faced Link. Immediately, the older boy knew he was looking for mischief as he smiled sweetly at him.

“So…. Can I borrow your sword, Link?” Instantly, Link regarded the younger boy with an apprehensive look, one that clearly showed how much he didn’t trust him to wield the weapon, even a wooden one. 

“Come on, pleeeaaassse? It’s just that,” he said, his voice now taking on a determined tone. “It’s just that, since it happened, I realized I’m not strong like you or Amber or Zero… So, I want to get stronger! So, will you let me borrow the sword? Since my practice one is broken and all….” He fidgeted uncharacteristically. Amber smiled warmly at the boy as Link thought for a moment, before reaching back and grabbing his sword, handing it to the boy. When the boy took his, eyes lit up so brightly, Amber 

“Yay! Thanks, Link!” He said with complete joy. Then he paused when he glanced at Amber, now cradling Elfear and Bastion in either hands, turning sheepish again as he turned to her. “Um, Amber? Do you think that Bastion, Elfear, and Zero can stay and help me practice fighting?” He said, looking up at her with sparkling eyes. She stood there, considering him, then glanced down at her Pokemon with a knowing look. 

“So, what do you guys say?” She asked, but she already knew the answer. The three of them gave her a determined look, and she just grinned wider. Turning to the boy, she gently set them down as Zero stepped forward. 

“Well, it seems I leave these three in your hands,” she smiled up at the boy who smiled happily back. She then leaned forward and whispered to the three Pokemon. “Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself or the others, alright? I’ll be right back,” she winked at them who all gave her a knowing a nod before following the kids to a practice dummy near the wall which reminded the girl of a Scare-Murkrow. 

Waving at the group, she continued on with Colin and Link to Ordon Spring. They were quiet as they walked on towards the spring, the sound of the bubbling water now becoming clear. Ambers thoughts wandered as she hummed unconsciously, but then she noticed Link’s trepidation writ across his face.

“You, you do you know what you’re going to say, right? To Ilia, I mean.” She glanced sideways at the boy, who continued to remain silent, but his face did show he was deep in thought about her question. They continued on in silence, Zero silently walking next to his trainer, till they reached the gates to the spring. But, surprisingly enough, they were locked shut. Amber stood to the side, peeking through the bars while Link stood in front of it. 

Inside, she could see the trickling water and the very small, short waterfall. Standing in the water, Ilia was smoothing out Epona’s coarse hair, running her fingers through her long, yellow mane that stood out against her otherwise brown body. She glanced over at the gate, but upon seeing Link, she abruptly turned her back on him in a furious huff. 

Right when she was thinking about calling out to her since Link didn’t look very excited about facing the angry girl, she noticed Colin was inside as well. Raising her eyebrow, she and Link watched as the boy took a few steps towards them, and she noticed that his hands and knees were a little dirty. When he got close to the gate, he whispered so Ilia couldn’t hear.

“I-I’ll talk to her… To tell her what happened yesterday... But, you guys can get in here through a tunnel… Over there…” He shyly pointed to around the corner, out of their view. Link nodded in thanks as he lead Amber over to the side of the rocky wall, and then she noticed that a rock had rolled out of place, revealing the tunnel the boy spoke of. 

As Link got on all fours to crawl through, Amber quietly watched till he disappeared inside before kneeling down to peer inside. She watch him reach a blocked end before turning right, pausing only momentarily to glance at her before continuing on out of view. 

Shaking her head, she begrudgingly wondered why she was just following him around like this. What am I, a lost Lillipup? Her crawling came to a halt at the thought. Actually, you are, so… no arguing. Till you can get to Hyrule Castle, he’s your only guide and hope, so there’s no point in trying to get all hot-headed, the rational part of her whispered in her thoughts. Sighing in defeat, she continued on through the tunnel, turning left when she reached the turn. Alright, I’ll just do as I’m told… For now. But… She paused in her thoughts as she looked around the tunnel. I really hope this won’t collapse on top of me. With the way things have been going the past few days, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.

When she finally reached the end, she crawled out and stood, happy to be out since she was really worried that it would fall on her. As she stood up, brushing the dirt on her hands onto her shorts, she glanced up.

Before her, Link stood a few feet away from Ilia, Colin quietly talking to her out of earshot. The girl listened silently, scooping water up from the spring with one hand and carefully poured it on the horse, rubbing the muscled body carefully. Epona whinnied at Link when he just stood there after a moment, tossing her long head. Ilia held her hands back almost surprised, but then gently laid them on the horse’s head.

“So, you still prefer your master, huh? Well, I can understand,” she said kindly as Colin backed off, allowing for Link to walk forward a few steps. The blond curly-haired girl turned back to him, smiling softly. “She’ll be fine; she’s very strong, and Colin told me what happened yesterday, with you having to push her so you could go rescue Talo... But, when you go on your trip, promise me you’ll be alright, okay, Link? Just promise you’ll come home safe,” she smiled warmly at him, meeting his eyes and visibly relaxed his tense body as he nodded with assurance.

Throughout the exchange, Amber stood back with Colin, feeling a bit unexplainably happy that that was done with. Finally, we can get going; I have to get us back home soon... Ilia turned her head, meeting the girl’s eyes who widened them in sudden surprise.

“You are Amber, right? Father told me what you did to help Talo and Link, and that you’ll be traveling with him, so I want to thank you for helping them,” she said with a smile. Amber blinked in surprise, but then felt a bit embarrassed, shaking her head.

“No, it’s alright, I really didn’t do anything…” She said shyly, but when she glanced at the other girl, something in her eyes caused her to pause. Is that… Distaste? Disgust, maybe? Amber instantly felt her embarrassment fade as she stared back into the cold eyes of the other girl for a moment longer, feeling a bit confused. But, just as quickly, Ilia blinked, her face lighting up into a smile with warm eyes again, causing Amber to smile back, hiding her trepidation. Did I just imagine it? But before she could ponder it, movement to the left caught her eye just as Epona neighed fearfully in warning.

“Huh?” But that’s all she could say before a loud guttural noise came from the other side of the gate. All of them turned their heads towards the gate as it suddenly blew inwards, causing them to flinch back. Something very big and much like a Taurus or Grumpig came charging in, small, red beady eyes glaring widely with two green ghouls on it’s back. They all stepped back in surprise as it charged in, large curved tusks splaying upwards as the ghouls on the back of it pulled hard, causing it to stop roughly between the group. 

“What is-” Amber yelled before a loud, painful cry was heard on the other side of the large monstrous hog-like monster. Link, who was next to her, snapped into action when he heard it. He immediately began to step forward to go around the monster in between, but another monstrous hog came charging in, and one of the ghouls on the back knocked him out with a heavy club and a loud, sickening thwack!

What- I don’t- Amber’s mind began to run clear without a single coherent thought as she stared on in horror. She backpedaled, slowing putting distance between her and the monstrous hog things that now turned their attention to her. Two of the ghouls on the back of each of their disturbing mounts grabbed the now unconscious Link, Ilia, and Colin. As fear coursed through her, somewhere in the back of her mind, the reasonable part of her whispered softly without her really paying attention.

Ilia has an arrow in her shoulder, and Colin and Link were knocked unconscious and you don’t have any of your Pokemon on you along with not a single weapon. You really need to set your priorities straight or something, her mind reprimanded. As they neared her, a sound was heard to the left from the front of the gate out of the girl’s line of view, distracting all of the ghouls for a moment, but it was just enough. As quickly as she could, she hastily dropped down to her knees and quickly crawled into the tunnel away from them, and just in time as well.

“Gurrrr…” A deep, rumbling sound was heard from the spring behind her, freezing her to the spot. Only a few feet away from the entrance to the tunnel, she awkwardly stretched her neck back to try and see what new, terrible thing could have appeared. 

To her terror, the leg of another monstrous hog appeared, light blue and heavily scarred, and much, much bigger than the other two. The monstrous thing paused in front of the tunnel, and she had enough control to clasp her mouth shut with a hand, trying desperately to silence her heavy, panicked breathing. The monstrous mount stamped it’s heavy hooves on the ground in front of the tunnel, and Amber could feel her heart beating faster as the seconds past, but finally, she heard a heart-sickening tone of a horn.

“Grhegreh…” A deep, terrifyingly amuse chuckle was heard as she instantly noticed that the sky seemed to have darken at that moment, but she thought nothing of it as she waited to see what else they would do in horrifying silence. Please don’t find me, please don’t find me..

“Ragg…. Orrraggg!” She heard a deep, throaty voice call after a moment, then to her relief, they left. But just as quickly, she panicked as she remembered what they took with them. Ilia, Colin, Link! Her inner self cried as she quickly crawled back out to the spring, looking left and right, but they were all gone. Thinking of what terrible things those horrendous ghouls could do to them, she instantly dashed through the now ruined gate, pausing only for a moment before heading right as she heard the clambering of heavy hooves charge away. 

Let me make it in time! She thought as she chased after them, but she knew that with her unathletic body, there was no way she was going to catch up to them. Her heart beating and wrenching as the sound of hooves got farther and farther away from her, she began to slow down her pace as desperate defeat began to come over her. Stopping altogether, she balled her fists, and bowed her head, gritting her teeth hard as tears threatened to fall.

No! I refuse to let them take them away just because of my cowardice; I WILL get there! She yelled defiantly in her head, again breaking into a run with renewed vigor. But even with her pushing herself with all her might, she heard the sound of hooves fleetingly began to dim…

“Noi, noivern!” A cry rang out and Amber came to a screeching halt. Looking up, she saw a large, bat-like creature circle overhead before swooping down and landing elegantly in front of her. Meeting the eyes of the Sound Wave Pokemon, the girl felt her heart leap with joy and hope.

“Zero!” She cried as she ran up and hugged the Dragon and Flying type, who instantly hugged bag affectionately. When she let go and met his eyes, her own eyes burning with fierce determination, he nodded and turned around, allowing her to hop on. 

“Zero, we must find them!” She said, and he just looked back and nodded before raising his large, purple and black wings before taking off. Amber clung on tightly burying her face into his scruff fur on his neck as he zoomed quickly through the air. Not the biggest fan of heights, she glanced a little fearfully, but instantly her dark, brown eyes landed on three, big figures below, and immediately recognized the monstrous hogs. 

“There!” She said, pointing down. Zero glanced down for a moment before folding his wings up close, diving down with incredible speed towards the three. Her eyes widened as they zoomed down, but for a split second she saw where they were headed; across the bridge, which they were now crossing, the entire forest looked as if it was cast a in dark, yellow and black haze. Though it only lasted a moment, her thoughts instantly thought of the darkness that fell on the world at dusk. Then, the moment passed.

“Noivern!” Zero cried as they zipped past the the group, turning around in midair to hover several feet in front of them. The hogs came to a screeching halt, the larger, tougher one in front with the two smaller flanking it, allowing for Amber to see how the captured kids were doing. Ilia and Colin were still unconscious on the back of the one on the right, and Link was on the back of the other, but she couldn’t see him too well from her vantage point. 

Please be okay, she quietly pleaded in her mind as the front ghoul caused his hog to step forward, glaring menacingly at the Noivern and the girl. They were now all at the edge of the precipice, the bridge behind the three war-driven hogs. As the leader stepped forward on his hog to challenge them in his throaty voice, his fat, green body clad in a horrendous suit of armor, Amber immediately thought of an idea. Glancing down at Zero who growled back with vicious fury, she meekly apologized in her head.

Sorry, Zero, I know you won’t be happy with this plan, but… She looked back up, and instantly saw that Link was in fact awake, now struggling his binding as his hands and feet were tied, mouth gagged. The ghouls on the same hog as him roughly held him down, one waving the club again in warning, but the girl felt her heart brighten a bit at the sight. Link’s awake! This might just work… She pet Zero’s long, ovalish ears, causing him to pause and turn his head slightly back to her in confusion.

“Zero, I have a favor to ask. Do you see Ilia and Colin on the back of that hog?” She whispered quietly so the ghouls couldn’t hear. The big Pokemon nodded apprehensively, not liking his trainer’s tone as he still kept an eye on the ghouls. “I want you to get them off the hog’s back and drive it over the cliff to the bridge. Once it’s on the bridge, no matter what, I want you to take them to the other side and cut the bridge’s supports, causing it to fall. Can you do that?” She asked him. He snorted, looking back at her, his yellow eyes gleaming with worry, tail whipping behind her. She hugged him gently, smiling into his back. 

“Don’t worry, I’m just going to grab Link from the other hog and help drive that one back to the bridge, and once the bridge is out, you can pick up me and him, alright?” She said with reassurance. The Noivern remained silent for a moment, then reluctantly nodded as she slid off his back once he landed. 

He glared at the leader who glared right back, and took a few steps forward in prideful assurance. But just right when the leader of the ghouls was about to order his mount to charge, Zero smiled maliciously, then disappeared. The large ghoul looked around, confused, till he heard his minions screeching behind him. 

“Gurgh?” The ghoul turned around on his mount, only to see a red-orange bird like thing slash at the two ghouls on the war hog which began to stumble back. It transformed, and instantly in it’s place a large, four-armed purple person stood in its place.

“Machamp, amp!” Zero challenged as he held Colin and Ilia in each of his upper muscular arms, the bottom ones holding out his hands in challenge. He smirked at the ghouls, an egoistic gleam in his eyes. The ghouls shouted in fury, turning the hog around to charge at him. Zero braced himself, than when the tusks were about to tear him apart, he grabbed hold of them, bringing the animal to a screeching halt. He struggled against the animal, which just pushed harder, grunting furiously.

Getting ready to jump back and destroy the bridge’s support which now swung unsteadily from the rough use and the weight, he glanced over at his trainer. Amber was at that time trying furiously to dodge the arrows, clubs, and the pointed tusks as she weaved around and by the animals, trying hard to reach Link without getting hit. This is getting me nowhere fast, she thought as she almost reached the struggling boy on the hog, but had to jump back as an arrow flew a bit too close to comfort. Glancing around to find something she could, do she saw the canyon walls around her, and an idea came to mind. Moving swiftly, she once again dodged the club as the minions charged past, and then stopped in front of the bridge on the edge of the abyss. Turning to the leader on his blue mount, now furiously glaring and grunting, she smirked as she spotted a good sized rock.

“Hey, ugly!” She yelled as she picked it up and threw it hard. It hit against the ghoul’s helmet, causing it to ring loudly. The leader shook his head, then turned, his beady eyes glaring at the girl who just stuck out her tongue, mocking him. “What’s wrong? Can’t take a hit?” She mocked even though her heart beat a mile a minute in her inner fear she was desperately trying to suppress. Do they even understand what you’re saying? And are you SURE you know what you’re doing? Her rational voice cautioned, but Amber ignored it as the blue hog turned to her, stamping its feet impatiently. 

“Raaaggghhhh!” The ghoulish leader hollered as the hog charged forward. Watching it charge forward, she had to use every ounce of her will to stay put till the last moment, when she tilted and tried to dodge, going left. And, to her astonished relief, it worked, as the hog charged across the bridge, almost ramming into the other one as it tried to stop its momentum. That is, till she more felt than saw the last of the hogs charge at her.

Just as the hog was about to reach her, she felt time slow. The horrish details came into terrifying clarity, the ghouls on the back staring with black, wild insanity. Link’s profile on the back of the hog, or more like just his raised head as he stared at her with the horror she felt, made her think that maybe this entire venture wasn’t the best idea she’s ever had... But then she felt something hard run into her, knocking her back. Next thing she knew, she was falling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh, almost 4k words, but it seems REALLY short to me... Huh... Well, anywho, how do you enjoy the cliffhanger? Those are always fun(to write)! (Though not so much fun to read, I have to admit, but hopefully the next chapter won't take too long for me to write. 
> 
> Anyways, R&R, thanks!


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of unfortunate events...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking a while, the last half was kind of hard to write. By the way, sorry if things get a bit... Angsty near the end, but... Well, I suppose it turned out all right anyways.

“Machamp, champ! Machamp!” Zero shouted in horror when he saw his beloved trainer get run into by the hog and knocked off the cliffside. Thinking quickly, he jumped over the hogs on the swinging bridge and to solid ground. Putting down the still unconscious boy and girl, he quickly jumped off the cliff and changed forms. Diving towards the free-falling girl, he dove underneath her and happily felt when something fell onto his back.

“Salamance!” Zero cried, the Flying and Dragon type flapping his huge, blue and red wings as he hovered in the air. Still sure that the girl was on his back, he flapped as he flew back up, level to make sure she didn’t fall off. Once back to the same level as the bridge, he glared at the ghoul’s leader as the blue hog had successfully clambered back up, but the other minion’s hog wasn’t off the bridge just yet. 

“Maaannncce!” Zero cried as he opened his large jaw and fired a Dragon Pulse at the support structures hinged to the canyon’s walls. They immediately exploded, and the bridge wiggled before swinging down, causing the black hog and two ghouls to fall down, screeching all the way down before silence. Huffing satisfyingly, he turned his attention to the other ghouls and settled his eyes on the blond haired boy still on the back of the hog, not taking notice of the wary and scared looks on their faces. 

“Salamance!” He declared as he settled on the cliff, glaring menacingly at them. “Salamance-MANCE, salamance!” You DARE try to hurt my trainer?! He growled at them, not caring that they couldn’t understand him, but he was pretty sure he got the point across. Baring his teeth, the large Pokemon took a step forward, but froze when he felt his trainer slide from his back. 

“Zero, thanks for saving me, bud,” Amber said shakily as she leaned against the blue dragon for support as her legs staggered. I almost REALLY died… Shaking the thoughts away, she smiled up at the concerned look on her faithful partner’s face. 

“Now, can you go release Link for me?” She pointed at the still captive boy who looked at the girl and Pokemon with what she thought seemed to be a mix of astonishment and disbelief. The Salamance stared long and hard at the ghouls on the back of the hog, anger rising once again before he transformed into a Silvally and charged with a loud battle cry. 

“Grah!” The ghoul holding the reins to the red-eyed hog tugged hard in surprise at the large Pokemon’s sudden charge, causing the devilish animal to rear up. Zero easily moved out of the way of the way of the swinging tusks and kicking hooves, stopping next to them. 

Opening his beak, he clamped down on the back of Link’s shirt, and immediately gave him a hard tug, pulling him off of the hog. Jumping backwards, he tossed the boy up, who was still tied up with the rope, and then stopped till he felt the boy land on his back. Racing back to Amber, Zero slowed down a bit to make sure that Link didn’t fall off. 

“Good job, Zero!” His trainer told him happily. He laid down, allowing her to pull the blond-haired boy off. She pet his head affectionately, causing him to smile with delight.

“Sil, silvally.” He looked back at the two ghouls on the hog as he got up, glaring at them. They paused under his fierce gaze, but then chatted nervously each other. With a last guttural, throaty cry to them, the ghoulish minions turned their heavy mount around, then raced off around a corner of the rocky cliff-face, then disappeared from view. Zero stared long and hard, but once he was sure they weren’t coming back, he huffed in satisfaction before turning to his trainer as he transformed into a Lucario.

“There you go,” she said as she pulled of the rope that tied Link’s legs as his free hands pulled off the rope that had him gagged. “Now, we should take care of Colin and…” As she looked around, a realization dawned on her. “Wait, where are the other two? Colin and Ilia were over here… Right?” She pointed at the spot a few feet from them where Zero had set them down earlier, but they were nowhere to be found.

“Lucario…” Zero said as he walked over and pointed at the spot where he was sure he had set them down. By the point, Link was up and looking around, a deep frown on his face. He and the Pokemon walked around, looking everywhere, but not a sign of where the boy or girl could be. They all looked around, but to no avail as Amber felt weariness creep up on her, bruises and scratches starting to irritate her, but she justly tried to ignore it.

“Where can they have gone?... Wait a minute…” She closed her eyes, thinking hard of the events of the hour. The two hogs… Four ghouls… And… Her eyes flashed open. 

“Where the HECK is that fat leader?!” She raged, anger flowing through her veins. Link blinked in surprise, but he, too, glowered in silent fury. He DARE run away, and capture them, too? I’ll see about that, that coward! Her inner voice roared before turning to Zero.

“Zero, I want you to go back and check up on Bastion, Elfear, and everyone at the village, along with the egg since it may be hatching soon. I’m,” she paused, glancing at Link and saw his angered determination in his eyes, “I mean we are going to go and try to find which way that freakin’ pig of a-...” she took a deep breath, trying to calm the fire raging in her. No need to get too riled; just relax, being angry doesn’t fix anything. That’s what she told you, right? “...Find out where he took them,” she finally said, spatting out ‘he’ in disgust. 

“Ario, luc…” Zero said in apprehension, staring long and hard at the girl. Noticing his concern, she relaxed her tense muscles, smiling a small, tired smile. She reached up, petting his head in a calming manner, trying to reassure her partner.

“I’ll be fine, we’re just going to go and scout out, alright? Besides, there’s a chance everyone back at the village may be in danger. I’ll be back by sundown, alright?” She told him in her best assured voice. He gave her a worried look, but sighed in defeat after a moment. The Lucario glanced at the sky, seeing how the sky was already beginning to turn yellow as dusk began to approach. He smiled at Amber for a moment before turning to Link who stood to the side. Meeting the boy’s eyes for a few seconds, he nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to the broken bridge.

“Lucario, luc,” he told them before jumping off the cliff, much to the blue-eyed boy’s surprise. But then a large, red falcon-like creature appeared, flying off towards the distance. Amber chuckled when she noticed the boy’s astonished expression at her partner’s transformation.

“He sure is something, huh?” She smiled brightly at him. He met her eyes, but with a blink, turned towards the entrance to the forest. “Now, time to go rescue your beloved,” she said with a devilish smirk as she walked past him, not looking at his face as he stared after her hard for a few seconds before catching up. 

As they walked on, Amber kept a wary eye out for any sign of the ghouls or other creatures, regret inching through her. Ugh… Maybe if Zero or the others were still with me… And Link doesn’t have his sword either since he gave it to Talo… she sighed inwardly. After a few feet of walking, her head in her thoughts, she noticed Link standing in front of her, facing forward.

“Hm?” She hummed in question, but when she got close she noticed the area began to darken, and that’s when she saw it. A wall of yellow and black light blocked their path that reached far, far above, and she realized that this is what she had saw when Zero first took her to chase after the ghouls and the three hogs. The darkness was so dense she couldn’t see what the forest looked like now on the other side. A strange, eerie set of runes and symbols became prominent on the wall, glowing with a golden, dark hue. 

Amber stood there for a few seconds, stunned, but she snapped out of it and took a few steps towards the wall, Link still staring at the wall in silence. Now close to the wall, the girl leaned towards it to see the runes better, but still kept a good distance away as a strange glow radiated from it. This is really, really strange...

“What the heck is-Gah!” Amber cried out when a giant black hand suddenly stuck out from the wall as if it was liquid and grabbed hold of her body. Instantly, Link snapped out of his shock and stepped forward, but the hand pulled back, pulling Amber through the wall with her eyes shut tight.

“No, stop!” Amber struggled in the grasp that clenched around her body. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was being held by a very large, black figure, where it’s face would’ve been was a giant circle of red runes, similar to the ones on the wall. It’s black, loping body looked over her as it brought her close to it’s supposed face, seeming to study the girl

But more so then suddenly being captured like this is she instantly noticed that the woods she was in only the day before was completely different. It reminded her very much of the golden peak of dusk, the pale yellow and black, muted glow settled on the land, and it didn’t show any signs of changing to neither night nor day. In the moment she paused from her struggling to take in the sudden change in the land, she also noticed it felt different; almost as if the entire world inside the wall of twilight was sick…

Snapping from her thoughts, she struggled once again in the tight grip of the monster who still gripped her rather not small body. She was vaguely aware that another monster was there, and seemed to have grabbed Link and pulled him through the wall. As the grip tightened, pain started to course through her body as she was squeezed. Let… me go!... She ground her teeth together as her eyes shut tight from the pain. The shadowy figure of the horrendous, dark creature held her up as she once again felt a familiar burning in her hand.

The being howled in pain when a flash of light suddenly cut through the shadow. What was..? But then it threw her down, hard. She grunted in pain upon impact, but then felt something else. Looking up, she saw that Link was still being held captive, struggling against his holder. As nausea, pain, and confusion washed over the girl, she tried desperately to ignore it and get up. 

No… I have to… help him… She struggled to stand, breaking into a cold sweat as her entire body ached, her head pounding with a migraine so fierce she didn’t know how she could even stand, let alone help the taller boy, her hand now searing hot. Shaking her thoughts away, she again tried to get up, slowly getting to her feet, but as soon as she got up, she felt immediate pain on her chest as she was knocked back down again.

What…? She glanced up to find the monster had thrown Link right into her. The boy and girl struggled to get up, and when she was able to, she got on her hands and knees, her chest burning, her hand now so hot, she was sure she had third-degree burns, though she still couldn’t tell what caused it. As she struggled to stand, the world around her faded in and out of her vision, her head, hand, and body in pain. 

No, I…. She struggled to think, her head pulsing with every movement, every breath she took. All of a sudden, from where her hand was on the ground, she noticed a bright, warm glow. As she closed her eyes in both pain and reflex, she saw out of the corner of her eyes that the same glow also came from Link’s hand. What is… Happening?... She struggled, the world beginning to fade in and out of focus, her heart beating wildly. And the suddenly, it hit her.

“Aaaggghh!” Amber cried, her body pulsating with pain as if thousands of needles were digging their way into her every second. Her chest hurt with such great a pain, she felt tears running down her cheeks but didn’t notice as she was on the verge of unconsciousness. Her heart pounded, each time pumping pain throughout her. Just when she thought she couldn’t handle it anymore, a shock of energy ran through her body. 

...Why…?... She felt her eyes close as finally, the pain subsided, leaving her to fall into peaceful sleep. Right before she was out for good, she saw the two monsters cautiously approach…

0o0o0

She sat there and watched as the two creatures were dragged away. One was clearly a wolf, grey fur shining even in the bleak of the twilight, but the other… A fox. Or a cat, maybe even a dog, she thought in amusement as she saw the tiny brown four-legged thing get carried in one hand by one of the guards. 

It doesn’t matter what it is; but it does bear the mark… Was there always supposed to be two? She studied the two creatures, and was sure of it when she saw the triangular symbol fade, barely visible on both their paws. After studying them for a moment, she dismissed her thoughts with a wave of her hand. It doesn’t matter. For now...

“Hmm.....” She hummed in interest. It seems I’ve found what I’ve been searching for finally. With that thought, she smiled with wicked mischief before vanishing into thin air, leaving behind nothing but a few dissipating black particles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, okay, so... As I said, a bit angsty near the end, but let's be honest. If you suddenly had your body transform into something else forcefully, I don't think it wouldn't hurt... Anyways, this chapter was short, but the next chapter is much more interesting, and we get to meet Hyrule's twilight princess! R&R, thanks!


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amber wakes up in a prison cell, but something strange has happened to her, and she meets someone she finds suspicious...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait; I had a LOT of issues with this chapter, and honestly I might change it later, but for now I hope it's (mostly) okay? Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter, where we get to meet LoZ's favorite Twilight Princess! Oh, and cookies to those show guessed correctly at what Amber turned into!

Drip…. Drip….. Drip….

Inside the silent, cold room, the brick and stone walls radiated the suppressing atmosphere that seemed to penetrate everything. Through the deep windows far above, latticed with metal bars, the sky was dark and moody, casting rain down with flashes of lightning scarring the sky. The few alcoves of the forgotten room were barred with rusted doors and walls, keeping them separated. Besides hay scattered about and a few boxes of wood, the small room was completely barren. The only noise was the storm that poured outside and the drips from the leaking ceiling.

“Nnnnhh…” A small voice cut through the silence, muffled on the cold, exposed walls. The voice came from one of the closed-off sections of the room. Inside, a small brown, furry creature lay on the ground.

Ugh… Amber slowly opened her eyes. Still laying down, she shook her head slowly, trying to disperse the fog that surrounded her. As she lazily blinked, the haze slowly shifted away, and then suddenly, everything came crashing to her.

That’s right! I have to go- Sucking in her breath, that’s when she noticed something was… off. Looking down, Amber felt her heart’s pulse increase, her breathing ragged when she saw that her hands were now paws. Lifting the small, furry appendage, she held it in front of her. Not thinking at all and just staring at it, she placed it back down and shook her head, a laugh escaping her.

This is just a dream, right? Her mind tried to rationalize, but as she sat back on her haunches, her heart raced. She again looked down, holding back the panic that was trying to escape. Her chest was a cream-colored furry mass, and the rest of her body seemed to be more of a soft tan, completely covered in fur. She glanced back, seeing that she had a giant, fluffy brown tail, tipped in cream. Staring at it, a thought came to her, but then she shook her head, dismissing it, but still… Reaching up carefully, she tilted her head to allow her paw to brush against a long, diamond-like… ear.

No, no, there’s no way…. Her breathing hitched as the panic began to rise again. Shaking her head, feeling her ears flop about but ignoring it, she tried to calm down and think on the situation. So, now I’m an Eevee. That’s flippin’ fantastic, she thought sarcastically. Now feeling more relaxed, she looked around, now realizing her surroundings.

Where am I? Looking around, she saw that the room she was in had a pile of hay in the corner, and barred windows far above her. No, it’s not that they’re so high, it’s just that I’m so small, she sighed. Looking forward, she saw what would’ve been a wall was made completely of the rusted, black metal bars, a barred door closed and probably locked.

Am I in jail? Why? And more importantly, where? The Normal type looked around, confusion now replacing her previous panic. When she got up, finding it unsettlingly natural for her to walk on four legs, she then felt a sharp tug from her hind leg, keeping her from moving further. Looking back, she saw that her back right leg had a metal cuff around it with a chain that was anchored to the middle of the floor. Frowning, she moved back to it, the metal scraping against the cold floor.

Hmm…. How am I supposed to get this off…. She stared at the hinge on the floor, tracing the metal links to the band on her leg. A bit trepidatious, she remembered she was a Pokemon, and grabbed the metal links by her teeth. Tugging with all her might, she fruitlessly pulled at the chain, but all it did was pull taut and make her mouth hurt. Dropping it, she thought of a new tactic.

If I’m an Eevee, I should be able to use an attack… Right? She thought hard about all she knew of the brown Pokemon, then remembered one move she knew they could do. Readying herself, she faced the door, crouching down a bit. A simple Quick Attack… That’s all I need to do, she thought, concentrating. Then, with her muscles tensed and her mind completely focused, she sprang forward!

Yaaahh! She yelled in her head, feeling her body lift off the ground as she threw all her weight forward. She felt a wave of victory as she continued forward, but then… The chain drew taut, and next thing she knew, she was on the ground face down, having landed... hard.

“Eeeevvv….” She groaned, turning on her side as her stomach ached from the sudden impact. Laying for a few seconds to catch her breath, she rolled back over and slowly stood up, her muscles protesting at the effort.

That really hurt, but I have to find Link and- but then a noise suddenly stole her attention. She looked up, fear riddling her body again as she thought that maybe the monsters had come back for her… But, instead, she came face to face with the strangest looking girl she’s ever seen.

Her body, which was floating in midair no less, was black and light blue with electric blue runes coming down her arm and her legs. A black vest-like coloring covered her chest, curling back into two swirls that reached back, but Amber quickly saw that that was just part of her skin. She wore an ancient-like helmet or crown that covered the upper half of her face, a hole made so one of her striking yellow and red eyes could see clearly. She also had long, pointed ears similar to Link’s, and as she moved Amber noticed that her hair was a fiery yellow and orange.

Amber watched her apprehensively, taking a step back when the other girl watched her through the metal bars. She had a mischievous look in her eyes, tapping her chin as if she was deciding something, but then smiled wide, and much to Amber’s surprise, spoke, cutting through the silence.

“Hm… Having a bit of trouble there?” She asked with sarcasm dripping in her voice, still with her deep grin. Amber remained silent, watching her closely in case she decided to do something… She must’ve taken notice of the human-turned-Eevee’s suspicion, because while still floating, she placed her hands on her head and tilted back, arrogantly looking at her nails.

“You know, I could get you and the pup out…” Her tone did nothing to ease the Eevee's caution, reminding her of someone wanting to make a really shady deal like on TV, but remained silent as she went on. “...If you help me get some things. Sound like a fair deal to you?”

Maybe…. Amber silently said, still very wary of the sudden appearance of this strange woman. But, the thought of getting free did sound very tantalizing… But who’s the 'pup’? Did Link turn into something and get caught, too? Pushing the thought aside, she focused on the patiently waiting woman in front of her, studying her.

She was still floating in the air, seeming to lounge back on some unseen couch or bed, absentmindedly picking at her nails. She hummed a tuneless hum, seeming to be awaiting Amber's answer with all the time in the world, as if she already knew what the answer was.

But she knows I have really no choice, and she could wait all she wanted… Darn, I really don't want to give in, since she seems mighty suspicious, and she might be a bad person… But Amber inwardly sighed in defeat, looking down at the stone floor as she thought. But I really don't have a choice here…. Ugh, if this turns out badly, I’ll deal with it later. Turning back to the strange imp-thing, she told her her final decision.

“Eev, eevee-ee.” Alright, you have a deal. Before she continued, Amber immediately paused, thinking of what she just did, or more like said. Did I just speak like an Eevee? Shaking her head, she felt the inner rational part of her shrug. You're an Eevee now, too, so it's only natural that you talk like one. Amber knew that, but the shock came all the same, but quickly shook it off before continuing. Let's be honest, a LOT stranger things have happened in the past few days; this just happened to be one of them.

“Vee, eevee-vee?” But, what do we have to get for you? Though Amber felt this entire deal seemed REALLY sketchy, the 'just grab something real quick’ part seemed like the sketchiest part of all. “Eevee eev?” And how do I know I can trust you? Of course, it never actually sunk that the imp might not be able to understand anything she just said, but it was too late by then. But, despite the language barrier, it seemed she still understood the small Pokemon anyways as she tapped her chin thoughtfully, her grin never leaving her face.

“Oh, nothing much; just a few things here and there,” she waved dismissively, but Amber continued to watch her with clear suspicion. Before the Eevee could question her further, she suddenly straightened and jumped back, landing with oise in midair.

“Now, I know you would love to get out, but….” She grinned, glancing left to some other part of the room unseen from the Eevee’s position. “I believe that there’s something much more important at hand, don’t you?” She slyly glanced back at her. Amber, still watching her, frowned slightly.

Something more important? Like what? But before she had time to think about it, the smaller imp seemed to vanish, leaving behind quickly dissipating black particles, which eerily reminded Amber of the ghouls she and Zero had fought the day before. Remembering the Ditto, she felt a stab of loneliness, but quickly stuffed it away. No, I can’t be weak; I have to find a way out of here and get back to normal. She shook her head as if to physically try and shake off any negative and nostalgic feelings.

“Heheh… You seem to be in a bit of a mess, huh? Having been captured, turning into… whatever-you-are, having your friends taken…” Her voice seemed to drift and come from everywhere at once around Amber, but even though she turned around, she couldn’t see where the imp had gone. How does she know they’ve been taken? Maybe I should’ve thought more before agreeing… Before she could think further about it, she heard a startlingly close giggle next to her twitching ears.

“Eev!” She jumped, spinning back to literally be face to face with the imp. She was floating so that she was upside-down, which Amber found very unsettling. The imp still had that annoyingly pompous grin on her face, which was starting to really frustrate Amber. She giggled as she floated there, slowly turning to be right-side up again. The Eevee, feeling more than a little irritated, tried to bite her, but the imp simply floated up a foot, out of reach for the small Pokemon with the chain on.

“Heh, you aren’t nearly as frightening as the pup next door, you know. So you should just relax, alright?” She chastised Amber, who just huffed back with a defiant frown. “Now, as I was saying before, once I help you get out, you have to help me get the things back, since we agreed on it, right?” Amber reluctantly nodded, liking the deal a lot less now than before, though she didn’t like it to begin with. The imp nodded, satisfied, then looked thoughtfully at what Amber thought were her paws.

“Hm, we should get rid of those things, first, shouldn’t we?” The Eevee tilted her head at this, a bit confused. Get rid of what? But as she watched, she saw the imp put her hands together to form what suspiciously looked a lot like the move Shadow Ball… Before she could question it, the imp let out her arms, and in a blink Amber felt and heard the chains snap. Looking back in surprise, she saw the band still on her leg, but the actual chain was snapped. The imp noticed the Eevee stare at the band with distaste, than waved it off.

“We can deal with that band later. But for now…” She looked up and to the Eevee’s left who followed her line of sight. In the stone wall high up above, there was a series of holes that lead to the next cell, much bigger than the tiny excuses for windows. “...You need to get up there to help your friend out,” the imp continued. She flew up to one of them, pointing at the pile of hay underneath.

“There should be a lever or something in there. Grab hold of it, and give it a hard yank,” she said, emphasizing it with a tight fit in her hand. Amber sighed, knowing it was probably useless to argue with the one person who could get her out of the jail cell, and looked at the pile of hay. How do I find it? Just dig around for it? She tilted her head for a moment as she looked at the pile, than not knowing what else to do, began to dig at the pile. Using her paws, she made surprisingly quick work of digging till she felt something hard and metal touch her paws. Sticking her nose inside, she sniffed involuntarily, and smelled the unmistakable smell of metal that’s been touched many times in the past. Biting it, tasting the bitter iron in her mouth, she began to walk backwards, dragging whatever it was with her.

It’s certainly heavy, that’s for sure. When she got her head out of the hay pile, she saw that it was some sort of grip attached to a long chain that extended into the pile and probably the cell’s wall. After a few feet, she felt the chain go taut, and with her mouth tired, was about to let go when she heard the imp call her from above.

“Hey, now that you got it out all the way, give it a tug! It’ll cause the level to work,” she called down. Amber huffed again, but did as she was told, and gave the chain a pull with all her might, which wasn’t much as an Eevee, but seemed to be just enough when she felt the chain give in for a few more inches. Feeling the ground rumble softly, she let go this time, dropping the chain onto the ground. With wide eyes, Amber watched as the stone blocks on the floor began to move upwards, each one reaching higher than the one before it till it reached the wall, creating a giant staircase of stone. Amber didn’t try to hide her amazement as she marveled at the engineering it must’ve took to create it, and the imp giggled when she saw the awe in the Eevee’s face.

“Wow, you’re REALLY not used to this? Hm… So I’m gonna guess you don’t where this is, do you?” She inquired, but Amber rolled her eyes because she knew that the imp knew the answer to that. Walking over to the first step, she looked up at the rising stones. Looking straight at the first one, she dearly wished she was human again as the step was about a foot tall, nearly as tall as Amber was at the moment, who was just slightly taller than the average Eevee.

How am I supposed to climb this? She stared long and hard at the step which was right about eye-level. Finally, she sat back on her haunches, placing her front paws in the air like she’s seen Zero do as a Mightyena when he was begging for extras, than sprang up on her hind paws. Jumping up slightly, she scrabbled with her front paws on the cold, hard surface of the stone step, kicking her hind legs frantically.

As she pawed at the stony surface, trying desperately to get at least one hind leg up, Midna watched with what looked like intense amusement, not hiding her laughs. If Amber was human, she was sure her face would be red from embarrassment and shame. I won’t let her laugh at me, I can do this! After dangling there, her back legs still not finding purchase on the slippery stone, with a big heave, she pushed down on her front forelegs with all her might, lifting her body high enough for her left back paw to swing up and around. Collapsing from the effort, her small body not used to such excursions, she lay there on top of the stone step, feeling pride swelling. There… I did it…

“Aww, would you look at that, you finally climbed the first step.” Amber glared up at the grey-skinned imp. She just grinned back, amusement glittering in her eyes. The Eevee sighed, getting up since she wasn’t about to look weak in front of her. She turned her eyes to the next step in front of her, determination pulsing in her eyes. Alright, let’s do this. She walked up to, looking at it, than sat back on her haunches with careful precision.

0o0o0

“Eeeevvvv…..” Finally…. She huffed at the top of the last step, the imp floating with her still amused look next to her. Though it had taken a while, a good fifteen minutes at least, Amber had finally climbed up the stairs, silently cursing her small and unathletic body the whole way. Laying there, panting desperately, she felt a mixture of relief she made it up and sympathy for almost every Eevee out there for being stuck in such a small body with long fur.

Though, of course when Zero turned into an Eevee, he seemed perfectly fine, even nimble and agile… Is it just me, then? Or is it because I was originally human? Now that she rested a moment, catching her breath, the entire scenario finally hit her as totally impossible, much like what-else has happened in the past few days. Is this just a big, complicated dream? Before she could ponder more, she heard a frustrated grumble next to her, prompting her to look over. Floating there with a very impatient look, the imp crossed her arms.

“How long are you going to lay there? We got things to do, you know, like getting you and your friend out?” She pointed out, her fingers tapping on her arm. Sighing, Amber reluctantly stood back up, though finding it still very odd to be on all fours, but knew she was right. The imp snapped her fingers and disappeared again as the Eevee shook her head to relieve some of her weariness before walking through the hole in the thick, stone wall. On the other side, she saw the imp reappear, grinning at her again before looking down with a thoughtful look. When Amber also looked down into the neighboring cell, she immediately recoiled. Below, a large, sleeping grey and white thing was snoozing away.

It looks like a Mightyena… But not? The strange quadruped creature was curled up near the center of the cell, seeming to be completely asleep. As she studied it from above, she saw it had a ruffled mane streaking back from the top of it’s head, reaching to it’s back. It was mostly shades of grey and black from what she could see, but she saw that it’s underside was a contrasting white. But the most striking thing about the slumbering beast was a the white pattern of fur on it’s forehead. A diamond streak of white surrounded a small white dot of fur in the middle, almost like it was a pictogram of some kind.

Intrigued and a bit wary of the creature, Amber quietly watched the thing sleep, completely unaware of her presence. When she looked up to question the imp about why she wanted her to come here, she saw her float down, stopping to float directly in front of the beast’s face. The Eevee watched curiously as the imp leaned forward, seeming to study it, then smiled a very mischievous smile. She purposefully looked up directly at Amber who blinked in surprise before turning back, then held her hands apart. Another Shadow Ball thing appeared in between the space of her hands, when she let go, Amber tried to see what happened, but all she saw was a chain tied to an anklet at the beast’s front paw break. The sharp sound of the breaking chain awoke the beast, who looked around with a groggy, startled face. When he looked around, Amber sucked in her breath, backing away into the shadows, hoping it didn’t see her. To her relief, it never noticed her, but it did look up at the imp who was still floating in front of it.

“Ah, the sleeping doggy wakes up,” she said in a very girl, mocking way as the beast groggily got up, wobbling a bit. Amber stepped back out from the shadows, her ears flicking as she heard the small ring from the chain still attached to cuff around his front paw scrape against the stone floor.

“Well, now that you’re awake, you can finally get out and help me get my stuff, just like she promised,” the imp said cheerfully, casting a mischievous grin up at the Eevee who just gawked in surprise. Help get the stuff? How is that beast-thing help in anyway- but as it looked up at her, she paused in her thoughts as their eyes met. The beast’s eyes were nothing like the wild, fierce look she was expecting. Instead, they were a startling blue, and with a kind, gentle gaze. And Amber instantly recognized those eyes. There’s no way…. Is there? But she already knew just exactly who that beast was, and her immense relief must’ve been very evident on her face, because Link’s blue eyes softened.

“Alright, alright, let’s cut the lover’s looks, okay? You all have to get out, and I would like to do it before the jailers come back, you know?” The imp cut in, her hands on her hips. Amber simply shook her head with a frown on her face. Lovers? What type of ridiculous statement… But she was cut off when the beast, whom she was certain was Link, growled softly, getting both of their attentions. He tilted his head to the cell’s door, which was probably as locked as Amber’s. Amber nodded, knowing what her meant.

Yeah, we have to get out, but how? She turned to the imp, who she thought had a plan on escape. But, to her mild surprise, the imp had disappeared again. Looking around, she spotted the imp again, but this time on the other side of the cell’s bars.

“So, now that you two are together, I’m sure you can get out, can’t you?” She said, her voice hinting the ever-present mischief, grinning at the two of them. Amber just snorted, not liking her tone at all, but opted to ignore her as she looked down. I’m up here, and he’s down there… How are we supposed to get out? Wait, how am I supposed to get down, let alone get out? She looked directly below, and immediately felt nausea swell up inside her, but she tried to squash it back down.

Come on, Amber, it just looks very high because of your small body, and it’s actually not that high at all… Yeah… She told herself, trying to relax. But, it did look really high from where she was to the ground below. Though it was only about ten feet, to the small Eevee it might as well have been twenty or thirty. But, then a noise below made her look back down.

Below, Link had grabbed onto something near the base of the wall, his teeth clamped down on it. Amber watched with interest as he began to slowly back up, his focus on what she now saw was the same type of chain she had pulled on to make the hidden stairs appear. After a good five feet, he stopped when the chain pulled taut, then with a sharp yank, Amber’s ears twitched at the sound of an almost imperceptible click!

“Eev?” huh? She tilted her head, but then braced herself, not really sure what was going to happen. But, to her surprise, nothing actually happened. Well, nothing that she could tell, except the soft crunch of rock rubbing against rock to her immediate left. Looking, she saw that a screen of stone slab she didn’t notice before fall, revealing a crevice in the wall. Walking up to it, she saw a small, black key sitting in the crevice of the wall, which looked much like the one she used only…

Was it the day before yesterday? It feels like an eternity.... She absently thought as she stuck her head inside, and gently grabbed the key with her teeth. With it safely secured, she sat, not really sure what to do now. But, a small growl again caught her thoughts. Looking down, she saw Link waiting patiently below, his eyes convening his thoughts, which struck Amber as silly and caused her to giggle. Human or not, he’s still Link. Nodding in understanding, she stuck her head over the ledge, then dropped the key.

Link spotted it, and with agile grace, sprang up on his hind legs. Amber watched in awe as his large and surprisingly lithe body reached up to grab it perfectly, but then he snapped his teeth a moment too soon, falling back down clumsily and staggered till he planted his paws firmly on the ground. The entire sight seemed to struck Amber as the funniest display of trying to be a show-off she’s ever seen, and though she tried her hardest to keep in her laughter, the giggles quickly escaped her lips, despite her best efforts of keeping them in. Link looked up at her, giving her a half-hearted scowl, but she just waved her paw apologetically, now just laughing openly, and she wasn’t the only one. The imp, too, was also laughing over behind the bars, her grin now full of mirth.

“W-what was that? Trying to be the ‘wolf who could fly’?” The imp laughed, grinning at the beast. He now had a half-lidden look, than seemed to sigh and shake his head while the two tried to quell their still present mirth. When Amber calmed herself, looking back down, she saw Link calmly walk over to the cage’s door, and standing up on his hind legs with his front paws leaning against the bars for support, tilted his head to stick the key into the lock. Turning his head to the other side, he turned the key in the lock, and Amber heard a click as the door unlocked and swung open under his weight, allowing him to get out

Feeling a bit impressed by the act, she watched as he walked back to sit underneath her, and by the look on his face, she felt her breathing hitch. No, there’s no way I’m about to jump down! She thought adamantly, shaking her head hard as she started to crouch low. He snorted softly, and though she knew it was a bit ridiculous to be scared to just get down, the shaken Eevee couldn’t help it.

“Eev-eev…” I-I can’t…. She miserably sat up there. This time, Link just gave her a half-lidded look that said ‘really? You’ll do a bunch of other things, but you’re scared of heights?’ And again, she shook her head hard, this time with a defiant look. I can’t help it! Heights have always frightened me, I just try to ignore… She thought back to when she was a child, with a storm clashing outside just like now… At the sound of the loud thunder, she shivered inwardly. Ugh… I hate it… But the sound of scraping again made her look down. Link blinked up at her with a bright gaze in his blue eyes.

“Eev?” Are you sure? Amber blinked in surprise. He nodded, standing ready below, and she briefly wondered how he could understand her, but let it slide before focusing on the issue at hand. Amber paused, considering him. I mean, if I do come down, can he really catch me? But his assured look made her squash the feelings of unease. With a sigh, she was about to tell him, but then the impatient imp cut in.

“Come on, just jump down already! It’s not like you’re going to die or anything,” she huffed outside of the cell, her arms crossed. Amber rolled her eyes, than looked back down. Nodding to Link when she met his eyes, than considered what would be the best way to get down. Going down head first… Yeah, no. Turning around, she hesitantly paced backwards, then suddenly felt her back paw step into air.

“Eev!” Agh! She cried when she felt herself falling. In a frantic frail, her front paws caught the ledge of the gap, barely holding herself up while her back paws scrabbled on the stone surface for purchase. Feeling panic flood through her, a feeling she hasn’t felt since the waterfall incident a few days before, she almost didn’t hear the soft growl below her. Opening one of her shut eyes, she looked down to again to see Link looking up intently, this time with a calming glow in his blue eyes as he growled softly again, and to her utter surprise she could understand him.

“Amber, just relax, I’ll catch you.” She stared at him, shocked at these words, but after a moment, nodded in reassurance. Before she could tell him so, however, suddenly she felt the stone beneath her front paws crumble.

“Eev?” Huh? And suddenly the stone broke, and she felt as if she was floating for a moment before… “Eeeevvveeee!” Aahh!

As she fell, just for a moment before squeezing her eyes shut, she saw the surprised look on Link’s canine face, and for a fleeting second she thought one thing; Am I going to die here and disappoint everyone again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, time for me to explain a few things:
> 
> 1) No, I don't hate Midna by portraying her this way, in fact she's one of my favorite characters. The reason I did show her like this (I hope I got her personality kind of right, anyways, sorry for any OOC-ness) was because remember it's mainly by Amber's viewpoint, and I imagine her as being wary and suspicious of the imp (that's the best I could describe her for now, sorry 'bout that) and because of our heroine's personality, I think she would definitely find Midna suspicious after her appearing in the jail with a pretty shady agreement for helping her get released. That's what I think, anyways, if that makes sense?
> 
> 2) As for Amber's fear of heights, I know this can be a bit confusing since she's done a lot of height-defying effects, such as her ride on Zero's back (Chapter 10) and her climb up the cliff (Chapter 8), and I guess you could count the fall down the waterfall? (Chapter 4) But remember, she will do anything to save her friends and such including trying her best to disregard her fear, and if you remember the cliff climb, she was scared than too, but she was to ashamed to admit it to Link at the time. The reason why she's scared of heights? Well... Wait and see~ Heheh.
> 
> 3) Why did I choose an Eevee as to what Amber turned into? There's actually a really good reason for this, which partly you'll see later on.
> 
> 4) Why can Midna and Link understand Amber? You'll just have to wait and see for that!
> 
> Anyways, hope that clears up any questions! R&R, and hope you enjoyed!


	14. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amber, having turned into and Eevee , along with Link, who turned into a blue-eyed beast, explore sewers as they try to find a way out with the guidance (not really) of a sardonic imp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Sorry for the long wait, but here's chapter 13 of OoT! ^^ Yay, learning stuff! (Not really, but whatever~) Anyways, Amber learns stuff, Link... I guess he learns stuff? And the mysterious imp (*Cough Cough Midna Cough*) doesn't learn anything at all except how clumsy Amber can be sometimes. Hope you enjoy!

To Amber’s relief, she didn’t die. But, it wasn’t the most comfortable landing she’s ever had.

“Vee!” Oomph! Amber cried as she hit the ground, hard, but she also heard a distinct grunt from underneath her. Disoriented, she looked down and found that she was laying on top of Link who rolled onto his back at the last second when she fell, allowing her to cushion her fall on him. Sucking in her breath, she scrabbled off of him.

“Eevee, vee!” I’m sorry, Link! She apologized, feeling guilty for once again having fallen on him, remembering when she stayed over at his house and he had broken her fall just like now. He grunted as he rolled over on his side and stood up, turning out to be much taller than she was, more than twice her height, as he shook his head to rid himself of a slight wave of dizziness before regarding her. Amber looked up into his blue eyes, than feeling self-conscious of the huge size difference, stood up and padded over to the now open cell door. 

Looking out, she could see the rest of the jail just fine, and by the fact it was all in all not that big with a single heavy, barred and wooden door at the end, she figured this must be just one part of the jail. She walked over to the door, and looked up. It was about two and half meters in length, and as she looked up at the large doorknob, she might as well have been in a jail built for giants with her small stature. 

How’re we supposed to get out? As she scrutinized the door, she heard a surprised growl behind her. Turning around, she saw the imp sitting on top of Link. As if she was riding a Tauros, he bucked around from surprise to rid himself of his passenger, but Amber watched as her orange fiery hair, which looked very eerily like a third arm, was placed on top of his head and held him down. He squirmed a bit from underneath her, but despite her small size she was able to keep him in place.

“Look, relax, okay? In exchange for me helping you, you have to listen to what I say,” She turned to the Eevee who still stood in front of the door. “And that means you, too, tiny, even if you’re too small for me to ride on.” She grinned. Amber huffed with a frown at the offense, puffing out her chest to look bigger, but it must’ve not have worked out as she had hoped, judging by how the imp’s smile grew. Link shook his head as her bright hair released him, frowning back at the imp. She patted his back, waving to the first cell lazily as she yawned.

“If I remember correctly, you were trying to escape, right?” She grinned cheekily. This is going to be a long day, Amber thought as she headed to the door, hearing the quiet padding as Link followed reluctantly with the imp still on his back. Well, it’s already a long day…. She sighed, but decided not to let the imp see as she waited for them to come into the open cell. It was like the others, but at the bottom of the wall was a large grate made of thin, metal bars. 

“Eevee eev?” How’re we supposed to open this? She pointed a paw to the closed gate, which looked to be rusted shut. Link tilted his head, than walked up to it. Turning his head like he did to stick the key into his cell’s lock, he bit down hard on one of the middle bars, and planting his feet, gave it a hard tug. It took a few tugs, but with a couple of shakes of his head, he was able to wrestle the grate free. Placing it down carefully next to the now open vent, he and Amber both stared inside. They could see that it the tunnel sloped downwards and made a sharp turn at the end so they couldn’t see where it went after that. 

“Well? We don’t have all day, you know. Those jailers will come back sooner or later,” the imp pointed out. Amber exchanged a look with Link before she headed in first, and before he came in after her, he glanced back in mild surprise when Midna suddenly disappeared from his back. The tunnel was pretty short, and out on the other side, they came out to what looked like a series of brick-wall tunnels…

“Eev?” Sewers? Amber whispered softly as she looked around, flinching inwardly at the loud echo the soft words seemed to created in the cavernous space. The walls were completely made from brick in a circular fashion, wrapping up and around, and she saw large, circular disks at the very top. Those must be the manholes, so we must be under a town?

They were in what appeared to be the wall of the tunnel, which seemed to be a large, curved tube. To the right was just a giant lattice of metal bars, leading into the dark of the deeper tunnel. To her left, their tunnel met an intersection, and she could see how the tunnel ran forward and backwards, perfectly perpendicular to their own. In directly in front, across a large trench that she guessed where the sewer water ran, she could see many other square and circular vents in the wall like the one she stood in on the other side.

Behind her, Link stood poised, his sense alert as he scanned the area, but the only thing they could make out was a strange glowing light… Curious, Amber cautiously crept toward the light, but when she got close enough to see it, instead of the torch she was expecting, the ethereal flame glowed in mid-air. 

Wha?... She stared at it, seeing it release a strange, shimmering glow. But as she stared hard, it almost looked like an outline of a figure... Concentrating hard on it, she then noticed an almost imperceptible sound, like a faint whisper in the breeze, even if there is no wind down in that place of stale, stagnant air.

“That’s a spirit.” Instantly, the Eevee’s fur stood on end as she whirled backward. Crouched behind her, Link also tilted his head up at the imp who sat grinning on his back, almost seeming to laugh at Amber’s reaction. “A lot of spirits reside around here, but don’t worry, they can’t see us, hear us, or… anything, really.” She said as if talking to a scared little child, and Amber frowned. The imp glanced back at the strange, green light.

“Why not go closer and hear what he’s saying? It might give you a clue as to where we are…” She said with a smirk. Amber glared at the imp in challenge, then turned towards the light. Can they really not see us? Despite her serious front, she cautiously approached the light, but it didn’t change and continued to float there. Feeling more bold, she stride up to it, and noticed with unease that the figure’s outline began to come into more clarity, revealing a see-through soldier.

“Eev… Ee?” A… Guard? She still whispered softly in the quiet, but glanced back curiously at Link who followed close behind. He eyed the spectral figure with a face she made out to be ‘That’s something you don’t see everyday.’ She looked higher up at the imp who still wore her knowing smirk. 

“Eevee eev?” What’s a guard doing here? Amber tilted her head towards the figure. The imp’s grin grew wider, and she held up her finger to tell her to be quiet before nodding to the ghostly apparition. Blinking in confusion, Amber did as she was told and turned her attention back to the guard in front of her as he again came into focus. 

He stood, scared and shivering, in the corner of the tunnel. He held a long spear that was as nearly as tall as he was, but it seemed much taller as he hunched over and huddled. Despite his pitiable stance, his uniform looked very formal and regal, reminding Amber of the soldiers she’s seen in picture books of grand castles, but at that moment he looked anything but grand and noble. As his entire body shook, his knees literally wobbling as if he was going to fall any moment. As she watched him, a voice slowly drifted to her, now audible enough for her to hear, and from the sound of what she thought was panting, he seemed pretty exhausted.

“Can’t… run… any… farther… That’s… far enough… right?... I’ll be… safe here…. I think….” Suddenly, he looked around fearfully, gripping his javelin tightly. “Wha-what was that…? Don’t-don’t anything come near me!....” He cried anguishly, holding the staff in front of him as if he could hide behind it. Amber blinked, then turned to the imp once again, her eyes still on the terrified soldier.

“Ee…. Eevee?” Is… Is he a ghost? Though the answer seemed obvious, she couldn’t help but not be sure. Not only did he seem incredibly alive despite his ghostly form, a whole lot of strange things have happened these last few days. Can you blame her for judging her reality? The imp noticed the unsure tone in Amber’s voice, and giggled with a glint in her eyes as she looked down at the normal type from atop her bestial mount. 

“Hm, I wonder if that’s so….” She hummed loudly, tapping her chin as if she was deep in thought, but Amber knew from the look in her eyes that the imp knew exactly what was going on. Amber sighed, glancing back up at the huddled figure of the apparition, but then realization dawned on her when she saw that he was still looking around.

“Eev, eevee? Vee?” Wait, can’t he hear us? Or see us? Amber frowned as she sat up. Cautiously, she walked over to be right in front of the soldier, but even then when he swung his head towards her, it was if he was seeing right through her. Link walked up next to her, also giving the ghostly soldier a curious look. Again, the imp giggled, clearly enjoying watching their confusion.

“They can’t see or hear you; To them, you’re nothing more than… a wind, really.” The imp shrugged carelessly, as if all of this was completely and utterly normal. Amber held back her sigh this time, knowing that thinking on it will get her nowhere. For now, anyways, while she was stuck in some really strange sewers beneath a jail with a weird being that could understand her Pokemon talk, a ghost of a scared soldier who seemed like any normal human, and both she and someone she met only a few days ago were both stuck in the bodies of completely different creatures. Feeling a headache coming on, Amber finally opted to ignore it for the time being. 

Giving one last glance to the scared ghost, she turned around and headed towards the sewer intersection, not even thinking of trying to open that blocked passage. As she walked forward to where the sewers met, she began to realize that she noticed everything with startling clarity, particularly sounds she never thought she noticed before. Every little noise, from the dripping of the water deep in the sewers to what sounded like skitter feet of small animals, she could hear all of it with frightening detail. 

I’m an Eevee now, so I guess it only makes sense that I can see and hear like one… But it still greatly unsettled her, and judging by how much Link kept pausing to look around every second, she guessed he, too, was uneased by the sudden hyper-senses they were experiencing. Both of them on edge, they followed the small walkway while the imp simply hummed along, as if she was riding a Ponyta through a garden on a warm sunny day. As they walked on through the sewer, Amber with her nerves on edge and Link seeming to be on constant alert, the imp suddenly spoke up again, startling the Eevee so badly she spun a complete turn with her shackles up.

“By the way, there’s more spirits down here, you know. If you two see one, why not go up and see what it’s doing? Who knows, it might give you a clue to where we are…” The imp said, grinning at Amber’s reaction. Amber simply huffed, noticing how Link also seemed to relax ever so slightly. He must’ve been startled, too. Amber smirked at the discovery she made about the otherwise passive boy.

Eventually, after following the brick walkway through the sewers, Amber realized that the path came to an end at another crossway. Here, all the paths from four different sewer tunnels met, the empty channels meeting perpendicular to each other. She looked around, frowning slightly. What are we supposed to do now? Link must’ve been thinking the same thing, as he also stopped right behind her, surveying the cross section. 

I guess one good thing about being a Pokemon is that I can see in the dark more clearly. The Eevee glanced up at Link who loomed above her, his eyes alert and glowing in the dark. And I guess his Mightyena-ish form allows him to see in the dark, too. Amber looked around, and despite the low light setting of the pitch darkness of the sewers, interrupted every once in awhile by a sconce with a small burning torch, she could see the many interconnecting tunnels fairly clearly. 

To the immediate right, for some reason that Amber would rather not think about, the sewer tunnel here didn’t have a brick walkway. Instead, the entire floor of the sewer channel spanned from wall to wall, covered in a purposeful array of long, sharp spikes, each of them sticking upwards to a needle point. To her left, the tunnel moves forward a bit till it comes to an immediate halt, ending at a brick wall with a closed grate at the bottom which Amber guessed was used to control the flow of the sewer water. And straight across from where they stood, Amber saw that the tunnel was much like the one they first went through, the tunnel reaching a large, metal lattice before continuing on into the dark out of her point of view. 

After a few moments of deciding what to do, Amber heard as Link softly huffed, and felt a soft breeze flow past her. She watched as the beast landed on the other side of the crossway gracefully, even with the imp sitting on his back. He glanced back at her, his glowing blue eyes piercing through the dark. Getting his message, Amber walked forward to the ledge and looked at the distance between the two brick walkways. She guessed it must’ve been about ten feet, but again, she silently wished she was human again. 

It looks so far away… She looked out over the empty channel where Link sat on the other side, his tail swept to the side as he patiently waited. Ugh, if I was going to be a Pokemon, why couldn’t I be something bigger and more athletic? But again, she thought back to the times when Zero would turn into an Eevee, making it seem as if they were the most graceful creatures to grace the planet. And yet, to Amber, she felt as if she was just a clumsy klutz in her current body. Amber sighed in defeat, contemplating her current body, and a sudden longing for her beloved Pokemon partners to be there with her. 

Before she could make herself feel depressed, a subtle growl snapped her from her thoughts. Looking up, Link stood again, and when they met eyes, he tilted his head, indicating for her to come across already. Amber began to shake her head, thinking it impossible, when something caused her to pause. Impossible? Isn’t all of this impossible? If all of this could happen, couldn’t you just simply jump across? Walking up to the edge again, she looked down at the grimey muck that covered the sewer channel’s bottom, shivering slightly. Glancing up again, her eyes pleading a very obvious ‘do I have to?’, Link tilted his head more firmly this time, and Amber sighed as she shifted on her small brown paws. Alright, I’ll jump. But even if I’m fine with getting a dirty, I really hope I don’t fall down into there. 

Amber backpedaled a few steps as she readied herself. Alright, let’s try this again. Remember, a simple Quick Attack… She closed her eyes as she concentrated. She thought back to how she’s watched Zero, as a variety of Pokemon, use it in the few battles she’s been in. Build up your strength, and when ready, release it… Now! 

“Eev!” She called out as she sprang forward to the ledge, and using all the strength she could muster, she jumped. Her eyebrows frowning, she felt her body fly forward, and when she opened her eyes she smiled with joy, for she was going right over Link, who watched with surprise. I did it! I really used an attack! The problem? She was flying literally right over him. As she felt gravity take over, she saw the brick walkway quickly coming closer. This is going to hurt.. The one thought went through her head as she closed her eyes, bracing for impact. And the impact did hurt. A lot.

“Vee!” Oomph! Amber cried as she hit the hard, brick floor. Her body skidded a little before coming to a stop, and as she lay there, she was sure more than a few hairs were ripped off of her from the fall. That…. Really hurt… She groaned, rolling over onto her side. Laying there, trying to catch her breath from the exhilaration, she heard soft footfalls. Glancing back, Link loomed above her, and his eyes carried a mix of slight concern and laughter from her miscalculation of jumping. The imp, however, must’ve found it as the funniest thing she’s ever seen, as she was just laughing her lungs out.

“W-wow, that had to be the greatest thing I have ever seen,” she said, her voice wavering as she still laughed. She grinned slyly at Amber as she got up, still giggling. “Proud of yourself that you made it over alive? Because I must congratulate you, you had successfully crossed such a dangerous empty chasm and still come out alive!” The sarcasm dripped heavily in her voice, laughter still evident. 

“Eev…” Yeah, well…. Amber stood up, a bit miffed and embarrassed, then shook her head and body to get rid of the slight dizziness she felt. Link huffed, seeming to be satisfied that she was alright, but before he turned around, he paused. He then walked back up to the Eevee who glanced at him curiously. He nodded his head to the side, indicating for her to turn around. Amber obeyed reluctantly, curious at what he wanted. She sat there for a second before she felt something clamp down on the back of her neck where her scruff was and lift her up.

“Eevee!” Hey, put me down! She protested, wiggling but unable to do anything in her current position. Link, ignoring her oppositions, had her firmly ripped by her scruff, causing the Eevee to instinctively bring her paws up, her tail curling upwards like a kit. The imp, watching the display, half-heartedly tried to hold back her laughs this time at Amber’s situation. He carefully swung his head towards the next brick walkway, and with Amber still in his teeth, he leaped over, much to her distress.

“Eevee!” Wait a moment! Amber cried as she felt her body swing through the air. She shut her eyes, and when Link touched down on the other side, she cringed at the jarring jolt it set through her body, but only for a moment. Cracking open an eye, her body relaxed when she realized that he still held her firmly, and she was still in one piece. Shaking her head from the pain that shot through her at the landing, she tilted her head as much as her current position would allow and glared up at the beast.

“Eevee-vee!” That hurt a lot, you know! She accused him, but he simply huffed through his nose, not looking at her. Instead, he had his eyes on the wall with the closed grate that was blocking the sewer water from flowing through. He padded over to the wall, Amber still firmly held in his canine teeth. Knowing that struggling was pointless and would probably make things worse for her, the small Pokemon huffed irritably, frowning as she swung in the air with Link’s every step. 

Finally, just when she thought he was going to carry her the entire time, he none-too-gently set her down on the ground. She gave him a hard look as she reached a paw back to stroke her tail fur back into place before looking up at what had him so intrigued. In the corner, a greenish flame glowed in the dark.

Another spirit? Amber slowly walked up to it, but just as before, the spirit didn’t seem to know they were there. Well, even if it could see them, she doubt this one would anyways, as he was facing the corner, crouched down, and completely cowering with his hands over his head. If the last one was scared, then this spirit is completely terrified. She walked up to get closer, but not close enough to touch the spirit. From what she could see, he was another soldier, wearing a guard’s attire with a sword at his belt instead of the spear the last soldier had. Her ears twitched as a whisper, hoarse voice reached them.

“What are these black monsters… I’ve never seen anything like them…!” The spirit cried. This made Amber pause. ‘Black… Monsters’? Come to think of it, the last spirit was clearly hiding from something else as well… What could be so horrifying to scare even soldier spirits? More than a little concerned, Amber turned to Link to ask what he thought, but he was already reaching down, and despite Amber’s efforts to dodge out of the way, he still successfully grabbed her by the scruff again.

“Ee… Eevee.” Hey!... Fine, whatever. Amber huffed in defeat, knowing by this point arguments with Link rarely turned out in her favor. As he jumped across the water-laden channels, Amber gave a last glance to the small green flame. I’ll ask her and Link later…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, a cliffhanger! (Okay, not really, but again, whatever~) So, Amber learned Quick Attack, it's a miracle! But man, I would think falling like that must've hurt a TON. Oh, and if you haven't noticed, this part, or at least this chapter, is VERY similar to the game. (I like the story-line of TP, so I'll try to stay true to it, but... there are, and will be, a LOT of things different, just saying~) R&R, let me know what you think, and have a great day!


	15. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amber and Link traverse the sewers with their impish guide, trying to find a way out...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, everyone, but here's the 14th chapter of OoT! I hope you all enjoy~

Hanging high above them, or at least it seemed high to Amber, was a thick chain that hung from the ceiling. The end of the chain had a large ring on it, and as she looked up at it, she realized that the chain disappeared into a square hole on the ceiling.

A… switch of some kind? Amber tilted her head at it. It reminded her of her ceiling light in her room that had a small chain that had to be pulled to turn it on or off. Home… No, this is no time to be sentimental, Amber berated herself, shaking off the painful tug she felt in her chest. Turning her attention back to the handle, she occupied herself with thinking how they were supposed to reach up there and pull the chain. I doubt Miss Jokes-a-Lot will be any help…. Hm… Maybe we could-

But before her thought was finished, she felt movement next to her, and next thing she knew, Link was springing upwards into the air just like when he caught the key before. When he reached high enough, he clamped down on the ring attached to the chain. As gravity won over momentum, he fell back down, bringing the chain down with him. Right before he touched ground, Amber heard a distinctive click! as the chain came to a halt, Link dangling on it. He let go and landed on his feet as Amber watched the sewer grate began to grind open, sewer water flooding through the opening. She and Link both watched as the water quickly filled the channels until at last the channels were completely full. She nodded towards him, impressed by his work.

Well, at least we don't have to worry about the spikes or anything… right? Amber glanced up at the imp who waved lazily towards the sewer tunnel with the metal spikes on the floor, now completely filled with water. Amber turned towards the tunnel, glancing at the water that filled the sewer chamber, and shivered in disgust. I REALLY don't want to swim in that… But her thoughts were again broken when she felt a soft nudge on her shoulder. She turned around, and saw Link laying down his canine body. He met her eyes, then tilted his head back. Getting the message, Amber tilted her head, unsure.

"Eevee-vee?" Are you sure that's alright? Link nodded his head subtly, his eyes telling her he was sure. Amber, feeling the happiest she's been since yesterday, felt her tail wagging in the air as she perked up. Yay, now I don't have to swim across! She happily padded over to him, her tail naturally reacting to her emotions as it swayed. She walked around his large body to stand next to his side. But before she could hop on, the imp scowlded.

"What, the little kitty can't swim?" The imp said irritably, crossing her arms. Amber rolled her eyes. She's probably mad that I'm up here, too. Amber decided to ignore her in the end and hopped onto Link's head, balancing herself as he stood back up. She laid down, draping herself on his head with her tail swaying in between an annoyed imp, and watched him stand. He's a lot bigger than me, Amber thought as she laid perfectly in between his pointed ears.

Link growled softly before slowly walking up to the edge of the water. With his head perfectly leveled, he slided into the water with ease, gently enough so the water didn't splash, for which Amber was grateful. Keeping his head still leveled, he began to gently paddle over to the sewer across from them, the imp and Amber both riding on his back.

Amber looked down as she watched as they neared the section covered in spikes. Would be just our luck if the water was to drain right now… Oh, I really hope not! She thought, watching as Link's paws paddled, just barely above the menacing spikes below. But, thankfully, they made it across, and Amber sighed with relief as Link climbed up onto the brick walkway on the other side. The small Eevee jumped down as he stood, soaking wet, and then shook his body, hard.

"Hey!" The imp protested as the water droplets rained down on her and Amber. Amber also made cry of disapproval as she stepped away out of the range of fire. When he was done, Link shook his head before turning to them, and as Amber scowled back, he simply smirked back, clearly entertained by her reaction. A bit miffed, Amber huffed as she shook her own fur of any droplets that clung to it. Wasn't the point for us NOT to get covered in yucky sewer water? She thought grumpily.

"Now that we're here, let's get going already; we're almost to the exit out of here," The imp told the two impatiently. She floated over to the far end of the tunnel where another metal lattice was blocking the rest of the sewer. Amber sighed, but then followed after her with Link close behind. Finally, we're almost out of here…

The Eevee carefully walked over to where she waited, cautious to step in pools of sewer water on the walkway. As they made their way, she saw that the tunnel behind the metal lattice had collapsed, effectively blocking the flow of the sewer water further into the tunnel. How're we supposed to get over there? Amber tilted her head, perplexed. When they got close, the imp suddenly disappeared before reappearing on the other side of the grate.

"Well? Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to come join me?" She smiled devilishly at them. Amber frowned. Man, can't you at least tell us how to get over there?

"Eevee eev, eevee." We can't float through walls, or bars, you know. Amber huffed. She heard a soft growl from behind her, Link's own version of him agreeing. The imp seemed to consider this for a moment, tapping her finger on her chin. She then yawned tiredly, a bored look coming over her face.

"I guess I have to do everything huh?" She shrugged. Before Amber could think of a retort to say back, she continued on, glancing around the tunnel. "Look, you two are beasts, right? One more wolf-like, and the other…." She paused, looking Amber over. "...A dog. But," she continued on despite Amber taking offense in the statement (I'm an Eevee!... Wait, why am I getting mad at this?), "you two have the senses of beasts, so why not use them? I know you two have already figured your senses are super active right now, so why not put them to good use?" She smiled slyly.

Put our senses… to use? Like… hearing stuff more clearly? Amber tilted her head, her ears flopping to the side, as she frowned, a bit confused at the sudden suggestion. However, Link must've already picked up on what the imp was hinting. He stuck his broad, grey head up and looked around the small area they were in. Amber glanced at him curiously as he paced forward to stand next to her, his blue eyes scanning the dark, till they stopped on something that Amber couldn't see. Grunting, he padded over to the far left of the sewer wall his eyes glued to the corner. He then jumped over the sewer water with grace before standing in front of the corner.

"Eev?" Hm? She hummed in confusion as she watched him walk to the corner. The corner was covered in what looked like old, dirty hay. He walked over to it, and eyeing it, he then began to dig into the hay. She jumped out of the way as the hay got sprayed everywhere, watching in amazement as he began to quickly dig lower and lower into the hay. She slowly padded over to as she watched him all but disappear. A tunnel? She was leaning to peer into the dark tunnel Link had dug up when suddenly he emerged, startling her.

He growled softly, tilting his head to tell her to follow him. Nodding, she watched him go back through the dark tunnel for a moment before carefully jumping down into and following behind. She couldn't see very well in the tunnel even with her senses, having to smell her way after the wolf, but she didn't have to travel far. She noticed the tunnel slope go up at an incline when she finally reached the end. Pulling herself out of the tunnel, she found that Link was waiting for her to her right, for they ended up in what looked like a collapsed part of the sewers.

As soon as I get home I'm taking a hot bath, Amber thought unhappily, shaking off the cold mud that clung to her fur. Though a bunch of it still stuck to her, she decided that was as best as it was going to get and followed after him through a broken part of the metal bars. On the other side, the imp girl waited, flashing a cheeky smile at the dirt-covered Eevee. She jumped back onto the back of Link who simply looked up, used to it already.

"Aw, are you okay, poor wet puppy?" Midna cooed at Amber. Oh man, if only I could talk back… She simply glared up at her before strutting ahead with all the pride she could muster. As she walked forward, she noticed another ethereal light floating to the side. Curiously, she padded over to the ghost and found it was dressed like another guard, again looking frightened from something. Did all the guards here die of seeing something terrible? She thought, tilting her head at the guard, pondering the thought as Link walked up beside her.

"Oh, so you noticed all the spirits here are soldiers. I wonder why?" Midna said in a sing-song voice, acting like she had no idea but it was plainly obvious she did. And of course she won't tell us, either. Sighing as she was already used to the imp's joy of playing around with them, she turned back to the only way they could go and headed forward, Link padding along behind her as he cautiously looked about.

Amber guessed they were now deep in the sewer tunnels, as the further they went the more dilapidated and old they became. Glancing at several caved in tunnels with rubble lying everywhere, she frowned. This is very dangerous, and a huge safety hazard, everyone who comes down here is in danger of the sewers collapsing! When I turn back human, I'm going to tell whoever's in charge of maintenance around here they seriously need to get these fixed; it's not right to have people, soldiers or not, to come down into here only to have the tunnels collapse. She thought of the spirits of the soldiers and widened her eyes as she continued walking.

It can't be that they all died from the the collapsed sewer tunnels, can it? Amber felt herself grow angry at the thought. This is such a terrible waste of life! How dare they force all these good people to work down here in a collapsing sewer! As soon as I meet whoever's in charge, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind for messing with people's lives like this! Unbeknownst to her, she had begun to growl very softly in her anger, but she stopped as soon as she felt a soft tap on her shoulder.

"Vee?" Huh? She immediately felt her anger cool as she paused mid step to look back at Link. He gave her a concerned look. Realizing she must've shown her rage a bit too much, she smiled brightly at him, a look that told him everything was alright. He eyed her curiously, but otherwise dropped it as she continued on, still feeling a bit angry about the sewers and the soldiers, but kept it reigned in.

Once they reached the end of the tunnel, she realized they hit a dead end. It ended at a large circular room with broken stone stairs leading downwards, but wherever they lead was flooded with water. Amber looked around and saw the stairs also lead upwards, but to her dismay they were broken in many parts. Looking up, she could see they lead to a large room at the top, but she couldn't see a way for a wolf and an Eevee to climb up there.

"Eevee eevee vee?" How are we supposed to get up there with the stairs broken? She turned to the imp. The imp simply grinned with mischief before suddenly floating to the next set of stairs attached to the wall, looking down at the wolf and Eevee on the broken bottom stairs.

"Focus on me and jump up here; unless, of course, you're too weak to make it," she grinned deviously. Amber huffed indignantly but let out a small squeak of surprise when she felt herself being lifted. Looking up, she saw Link again carefully holding her in his teeth, eyes focused on the broken stairs the imp awaited on. Her body dangling in the air, she began to shake her head in protest when he sprang forward, using the broken edge of the stairs to propel himself to the next set where she was waiting.

"Aren't you happy you have me here?" The imp grinned at the two as she floated to the next set, Link again jumping to follow. They did that for a few times before they reached a set with too big a gap, Amber letting out frightened squeaks the entire time in fear that he would accidentally let go of her, but he held on tightly. Finally placing her down for a rest, Amber collapsed onto the ground, but then quickly shook herself and stood back up, refusing to look weak in front of the imp. Walking to the edge of the broken staircase, she looked down at the bottom far below, feeling her heart in her throat. She cautiously glanced up, cringing at the sight that they were only halfway there, and with all the increasingly large gaps between the stairs, a lot of them were connected by ropes reaching across the spans.

I don't really want to… Amber slowly backed up to the wall, not wanting to look down or up. Instead of the wall, however, she backed into the leg of Link. Looking up, she saw the wolf looking at her, a thoughtful look crossing his eyes. He then bent down and nodded to his back, his eyes never leaving her. Realizing what he wanted, she brightened and gratefully jumped onto his back.

"What, the kitty's afraid of height, too?" The imp crossed her arms, watching the exchange as she floated above. Amber however voted to ignore her and simply focused on hanging on as tight as she could as Link stood back up and padded over to the first rope. He carefully began to place his paws one in front of another, concentrating all his might on keeping balance as he made his way across. Hearing the creaks of the rope under his weight and the slight swaying as he walked, Amber felt her heart beat hard, anticipating when the rope would break or when he might slip and lose his footing…

Thankfully, none of that happened. By the time they made it across, Amber was shivering with fear, clinging tightly to Link's fur. She heard a gruff but soft growl and looked up with tears in her eyes. Link was looking back at her with a look that said 'we still have a lot more to go and this is just the first one, you know', but Amber also recognized a hint of concern in his eyes. Putting on a brave face, she grinned with force, nodding that she was fine to continue on, ignoring the cheeky look on the imp's face. It'll be fine… It'll be fine… She chanted in her head to keep herself calm.

The rest of the climbs went more or less alright, Amber slowly relaxing with each one and trusting in Link's self sureness. Yeah, see? Heights aren't that bad… She thought, calming herself. That was, until when the stair Link jumped on broke. Amber felt her heart all but stop as for a moment the wolf was teetering on the edge, about to fall down to the bottom, but he quickly righted himself and continued on. When they finally reached the top, Amber slid off the back of him, fear gripping her body as she huddled on the floor, her tail wrapping around herself. T-that was… r-really close…

"No time to lay down and be lazy, we still got a ways to go now that we're out of the sewers," the imp chided Amber as she led over to a series of rubble in the corner of the room. Getting over her fear, Amber took the time as she padded over to where the imp waited to look around. From what she could see, they were in a large stone, circular building. They stood on a metal mesh grate that made Amber uneasy as she could see straight down to the bottom of the sewers.

This must be the building where the people who go into the sewers use… or used to, anyways. She thought as she looked at the broken stairs. Wherever we are, they need to get their acts together or something… She padded over to the door, but realized it was locked. How are we supposed to get out? She frowned, pushing on the sealed door.

"So, do you know where you are yet? The only way out is up through there," the imp said as if she could read Amber's mind, giggling from her enjoyment at watching the two confused, transformed teens. The Eevee looked up, her fears being realized when she saw a door open that clearly once been attached to some stone stairs, but the stairs had fallen to ruin as they laid underneath in a pile of rubble. She watched as Link looked up at the rubble and then the parts of the staircase still attached to the wall before looking back at her.

"Eevee ee…" If I have to… She sighed in defeat, walking over to him. She again climbed onto his back, gripping tight as Link followed the imp up and out of the stone building. When they got out, Amber blinked several times as she got used to the sudden change in lighting, and gasped when she finally could take in the surroundings from atop Link's head, totally forgetting her acrophobia.

They were standing in the doorway at the top of a large tower on an overhang that lead to a series of connected rooftops and what looked like sentry watch posts. The buildings themselves looked very similar to picture books of fairytale castle-towns, with their long, pointed towers in intricately carved stone. Only this isn't a fairytale. But what really caught her attention was the sky.

"We finally made it out! Isn't the black cloud of Twilight looking beautiful today?" The imp grinned teasingly at Link and Amber. The Eevee just frowned at the comment before staring at the orange and black clouds as the rain continued to fall, feeling cool against her fur. 'Black cloud of twilight'? Does she mean it's always twilight here? Does that mean there are no days or nights here? She continued to stare at the sky for a moment longer, pondering this, before jumping off of Link's back, letting him stretch before the imp immediately returned to her place on his back.

"Look, there's someone I want to introduce you both to, but to do that you'll have to reach that tower over there," she said, pointing at a tower through the curtain of rain. Meet someone? But the deal was she would help us escape, not be her valets. Amber turned irritably towards the imp, but when she met Link's eyes, he simply shook his head in a way that said 'just go along with it for now'. Sighing, she glanced back up at the imp who seemed to know exactly what the Eevee was thinking as she gave her an almost innocent and comforting grin.

"The person I want you to meet is someone I think you'd be very interested in meeting to help you solve your problem," she said with a mischievous wink. Amber shook her head, used to the cryptic words of the imp. I'm going to guess she's always going to be like this… Really, I should've guessed this from the start, shouldn't I?

"Eevee vee." Let's get going then. Amber began to walk forward with Link behind across the rooftop, not stopping to look down even once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the dull cliffhanger, but it was either that or continue onto to make a much longer chapter and it was pretty long as it was, so... yeah, I just kept it this way. Hope you all enjoyed, R&R, thanks!


	16. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amber's fear of heights cause a bit of problems as they near the tower...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO... I clearly haven't update this story in MONTHS. I really apologize for this. (Blame senior year RIP) But anyways, I kind of rushed through this a bit near the end mostly just because A) It was getting really, REALLY long and B) I just wanted them to reach the flippin' tower already! Like, seriously, Amber, you need to get that fear of heights of yours in order! Because I really don't want to have to write about it every time you climb all of five feet. Like, seriously. *sighs* Anyways, here's the next chapter!

I… really don’t like heights… Amber stared straight ahead, forcing herself not to look down as she crossed the little brick span between the roofs. The sides of the walkway were more or less broken and in disrepair, many gaps and broken stone scattering the ground. She lead Link and the imp across the eroded span with the wolf having to nudge her along every once in awhile as she slowly made her way across. 

“Eevee… eevee eev…” Why is… everything here broken… She muttered under her breath when she finally made it to the other side. Despite the rain and wind, the imp seemed to have heard her anyways. 

“If you haven’t noticed, it’s kind of hard to repair something when there’s only ghost soldiers on duty,” she said casually in a shrug that said ‘it’s obvious, isn’t it?’ Amber snorted and forgot her fear for a moment as she padded on ahead. 

I like the rain, but this is getting really annoying, she thought as her fluffy brown tail swished side to side in a futile attempt to keep the rain from soaking into her fur. Shaking her body, she flung raindrops everywhere, but the moment she stopped the rain just stuck back onto her fur, causing it to grow heavy with the dampness. Now I know why Zero always hated transforming into something with fur when it rained. At the thought of her friend, Amber felt her heart pulse painfully with worry and longing.

No, he and the others are back in the village with the children, they’ll be fine… Though I do wish they were here. She thought sadly, looking down at her wavering, brown reflection on the wet stone beneath her. She walked slower, her thoughts lost. But even if I could get to them, how will I ever turn back human? She glanced up and behind her at the imp who was casually checking her fingernails. Does maybe her friend she’s taking us to might be able to help me and Link turn back to the way we were? Amber felt hope flutter in her at the thought.

“Oh look, there’s spirits up here as well. So, have you two figured out where we are?” She smiled mischievously. Amber rolled her eyes as she saw the green glow of the spirit near the edge of the walkway. This part of the walkway was broken, having crumbled so that there was a sudden step before it leveled out again. As a human, Amber could have just stepped over the waist-high step with ease. As an Eevee, she may as well have been trying to climb a rock-wall. 

I REALLY wish I was a human again, she thought bitterly as she stared up at the edge of the walkway, looking very high from her low vantage point. I climbed those stairs in the prison cell, this should be no problem, she thought, looking at the rise. Finding the lowest point, she pattered through the water puddle, her fur now thoroughly soaked. Behind her, Link easily scrabbled up onto the walkway with his long, powerful legs. And of course I’d be stuck in this small body, she ruefully noted as she scrunched her short legs to try and jump up. 

As hard as she could, Amber sprang up from her back paws and reached for the edge of the walkway. There we go! She thought happily as she reached the edge. To her surprise, she jumped a bit higher than she expected as she watched the ground get carried away from her, her heart clutching painfully as she flew towards the edge of the span. 

“Eev-!” I’m gonna-! She began to cry, but just as quickly she felt something pointy grasp around her body and she suddenly jerked to a stop. Huh? She didn’t realized she had her eyes closed till she peeked open one, only to find she’s dangling above the edge of the brock span. Her heart thud inside her chest as she was gently put back onto the ground. 

“Geez, you sure love to freak out over the smallest things, huh?” The imp said almost exasperatedly as Link stood next to the Eevee, giving her an unreadable expression. Embarrassed, she shifted her paws on the ground, ignoring the cold wet of the rain falling onto her fur. 

“Eev, eev…” Thanks, Link… she muttered, her ego and dignity a bit dampened. Before she knew it, she felt something carefully clamp around her scruff and pick her up, leaving her small body to hang helplessly in the air. Having been off the ground more than enough for one day, she instantly started to squirm, panic starting to seize her, but the wolf ignored her small pleas as he walked over to the ghost. Giving up, Amber hung from his jaws, her eyes closed as she hoped that the ride would be over soon. Even when they made it close enough to the ghost to hear his voice, she was completely concentrated on just trying to stay calm, not listening whatsoever to what the spirit said.

“-and are you listening?” The imp’s voice suddenly was directed at Amber which broke her thoughts. Link was again walking across the rooftops, the Eevee still dangling with her tail curled up. Link slowed to a stop as he gently set her on the ground, the rooftops now more or less even. 

“Eev?” What? She asked, blinking in surprise. The imp simply rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her imp. She pointed out across the rooftops they were on to where the tower was in the distance. 

“We’ll have to cross a wide span before we can get to it; and by ‘we’ I mean you two,” she said mischievously, grinning at Amber in particular. Amber frowned, knowing that the imp was just trying to push her buttons; again. Huffing and refusing to let herself be scared any longer, she padded ahead with her tail held high. Well, that was the plan till something flew up right in front of her, making the strangest sound she’s ever heard. 

Freezing in her tracks, Amber looked up at what she could only describe as a demon bird from the deepest nightmares. The black being was pulsing and shifting, like black smoke. It’s wings were long, thin, and ragged, as if it was put through a shredder. But it’s head… It’s face was completely circular, wide and pulsing as it moved. It’s face had demonic like red symbols around it, like a mask found in a horror movie. Somewhere in the back of her mind she figured as a human it would be scary, yes, but not nearly as terrifying as the small Pokemon viewed it.

“Vee-” Wha- Amber let out, her brain drawing blanks at the horrifying being in front of her. To her horror, she watched as it jaggedly flew closer, making it’s screeching noise louder. Before it could reach the terrified Eevee, however, she felt something woosh over her and suddenly Link was in front of her, growling fiercely at the monster. 

“Grr…” Link warned, tail raised high and his body completely in a threatening stance. Though she couldn’t see his face, she could hear the ferocity emitting from his growl, surprised that the usually cool and calm boy was threatening the… whatever it is. Before Amber could react in any way, the gargoyle-like flew towards them, it’s talons outstretched, but right before it reached them Link did something incredible. 

Jumping to the right of it, successfully flanking it, he bound forward and leaped higher than Amber thought possible and slammed right into it’s side. The thing, taken by complete surprise, fell off the side of the rooftop, stunned, and Link gracefully landing back down. Shocked, she glanced over the side, but mist had risen up from the endless rain, blocking any hope of seeing the ground below.

It fell... Just like that, Amber thought, stunned at the sudden turn of events. Now realizing that it’s over, she sat on her haunches, heart pounding. Breathing a sigh of relief, she closed her eyes to let her heart settle a moment. 

“Eevee,” It’s over, the Eevee sighed, immense relief flooding through. In her mind’s eye she could again see that horrid face of the thing, a black circle with demonic red writing… Ugh, that thing’s going to give me nightmares, the Eevee thought with an inadvertent shudder. 

“It’s not over just yet.” She looked up in surprise as the imp, still mounted on the beast’s back, came over. Link lifted his muzzle back a bit to watch her from the corner of his eyes as she picked at her nails and gave Amber a grin that worried her more than a tiny bit. “Come on furball, we still gotta get to the tower,” she said, glancing at the structure which was now much closer but still a ways off. Knowing argument was pointless, Amber sighed and got up, shaking the rain stuck to her fur in vain. 

These past few days have been really bad for my heart, she thought, again carefully walking across the connected roofs. As soon as I get home, I’m going on a vacation… wait, I’m already on vacation, aren’t I? No, I should be home right now studying! The sudden realization caused her to pause as she remembered that she went camping for a short vacation, and it’s already been what, three days? Maybe more? If it’s been three days, it should be Tuesday right now… And I’m completely missing school and work without any notice! I need to get home soon!

Amber, the thought giving her renewed vigor, picked up her pace as she lead Link across the uneven rooftops of what she guessed was a castle. As they went, she took a moment to actually look at the town itself. It’s not everyday you see a castletown like this, she pondered, glancing around. Though she couldn’t see the ground parts of the castle, she could make a pretty good guess from what she could see. 

Even though the rain and fog blocked a lot from view, Amber could immediately tell that no matter who’s castle it was, they were probably very rich or very important, and she had little doubt it was a mix of the two. From where she stood, she knew the castle must have been enormous as not only could she not even see the bottom, but it’s spires loomed around her, each made of stone with long, funnel-shaped shingled roofs. The windows were very medieval as with the design of structures themselves. Everything had a sense of being old about them. 

More than old, it’s like they’re just worn out and well used, Amber noted. On more than one symbols were etched onto the weathered stone, with one in particular always appearing. Maybe it’s the symbol, or crest I think, of whoever owns this place? She wondered, remembering a lesson in her history class about the ancient kingdoms that ruled across Kanto and the other kingdoms. This crest looks like… a triangle in a triangle with a bird-thing underneath? Amber looked at it, a bit confused at what that could possibly signify. That’s really strange…

“Hey, you know you’re going to walk straight off the edge if you keep spacing out.” Amber blinked, surprised. She glanced up at the imp who sat on top of Link with her arms folded, Link himself giving Amber a strange look that looked like a smirk but not quite.

“Ee? Vee-” Huh? I don’t know what- But for what felt like the hundredth time that day Amber almost fell right off the edge, except this time she was about to step right off herself. Pausing in mid step, she suddenly realized how close she was to just stepping out right into open air and plummet who-know’s how far to her death. 

Oh… Feeling her legs start to turn into jelly, she slowly and unevenly backed up as carefully as she could, making sure all her other paws were firmly on the ground before lifting one up. I think someone out there really doesn’t like me… The thought floated through without much real process. Before she knew it, she walked back right into something hard and furry. Looking up, she saw Link looking straight back down at her, his blue eyes completely unreadable. 

“Eev? -ee!” Link? -wha! Link just bent down and, carefully grabbing the scruff of her neck, picked her up. Her tail instinctively curled up around her soft-cream underbelly, her paws up as if she was a kit. Before she could even protest however, Link walked to the right with her securely in his jaws, and Amber didn’t even have time to think about what lay before her. 

“Eevee vee?!” Wait, isn’t there some other way?! Amber cried, her heart beating so hard she was sure it was going to burst from her chest, because across a span of open air was a wooden post, and though she honestly just wasn’t thinking about it she could see if they crossed it they would be really close to the tower. But crossing it would mean… 

“Heheh, don’t be afraid little kitty, it’ll be over before you know it,” the imp said with all the reassurance of a Sharpedo. The Eevee, however, wasn’t paying much attention to anything except the seemingly impossible jump and the bottomless chasm below. Oh Arceus I’m going to die. 

“Oh just relax, you’re not going to die or anythi-” The imp stopped short however when she glanced down at the brown fox-like Pokemon dangling helplessly from Link’s maw. Amber wasn’t sure why, but the imp floated in front of her, a strangely concerned look crossing her face, but it barely registered with the Eevee. I-I’m scared, I’m REALLY scared!

“...You know, you’re not going to die or anything, right?” She repeated, but the shift in her tone was what made Amber finally look at the imp. She had her arms crossed as usual, but her eyes had the slightest tinge of…. sympathy? Pity? Amber couldn’t tell, but she just stared, feeling all but helpless as the imp simply stared at her.

“I… I REALLY don’t like heights….” Amber simply said, feeling a bit ashamed. She stared down at the short wooden platform they stood upon; well, that Link stood upon, the others kind of hung above it. She heard a soft growl and looked up, her eyes misty, as the Imp frowned in thought. After a moment, the imp looked over at the series of posts then back at Amber.

“...Alright, fine. Since you seem to be SO afraid of jumping all of a few meters just to reach the other side, I have an idea.” Idea? Amber just stared, mystified, as the Imp floated a few feet back onto the concrete walkway, and finding a relatively flat area she passed a hand over it. To the Eevee’s amazement, what she could only describe as a portal - a wormhole? - appear, completely black with an eerie green glow. The imp turned back to them as she crossed her arms.

“Come on, we don’t have all day, you know,” she said irritably. Link immediately just calmly walked over to the portal, Amber still hanging from his maw. As Amber passed the imp, she just gave a grateful smile, her eyes still a bit misty. The Imp, catching the look, simply shrugged nonchalantly as she hopped onto the wolf’s back as he stepped onto the strange, swirling portal-thing. 

Amber felt a sudden weightlessness, as if gravity had turned off somehow. I really rather not look…. She thought as she frightfully shut her eyes closed. It lasted only a moment but it was a really strange feeling. Like… floating… Or more like she just weighed nothing for all but a second. And then the moment was gone.

“Hey little kitty, we’re here.” Amber felt Link put her down as she opened her eyes. They were now standing on top of… roofs? Where are we… She turned around, and looking up, blinking slightly as the rain fell into her eyes, she just blanched when she saw the same stone walkway they were standing on before, the wooden poles jutting from the mist in between.

“Come on, let’s get going; we’re almost there,” the imp called as Amber walked back over to them, her mind swirling. Some new teleport? Is she part Psychic type? No, wait, this isn’t Kanto… This isn’t even my world! Getting dizzy from the sheer implications of the whole thing and still being slightly panicked, she didn’t even notice when Link stopped, walking right into his leg. 

“Eev-vee?” What’s wrong? Being small enough, she tried to walk underneath his legs for a closer look but he blocked her, growling softly to stay put. Pausing, she leaned to the side to see around him, but she heard it before she saw it. There were a few more of the demonic-like bat things, their red faces glowing as their bodies, almost seeming to be made purely of shadow, pulsed unnaturally. 

“Ee-Eevee…” I-I’ll let you handle it… She said as she backed off a bit as Link growled at the two... things. Amber, feeling more than a little useless, could only watch as he, with help from the imp, attacked the things, ramming them backwards before they regained their balance. And of course, as he was preoccupied with one, Amber felt her heart freeze when the other turned on her.

Oh Arceus… She backed up, instinctively feeling her ears flatten and her body lower to a crawl. I want to hide… No! I refuse to be scared! She thought, mustering all the courage she could gather, which sadly wasn’t much but hopefully just enough. Just… concentrate… She said to herself, flinching when the bat thing got closer… terrifyingly close. Shaking it off, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling whatever willpower she could growing inside her, tensing her muscles, and taking the biggest breath she could… Now!

Amber had what she could only describe as an out of body experience. In slow motion, she jumped upward and, with a loud cry, a wave of pure energy pulsed outward from within her body. She watched as the wave hit the flying monster, and with a loud trumpet-like sound it fell back and hit the ground, shattering into a dozen of black pixel-like squares that faded into nothingness as she landed back onto the ground. She breathlessly stood there, shocked at what she just did before she noticed Link walk over to her, apparently done fighting the other flying monster.

“Wow, I didn’t know you could do that,” the imp said, sounding a bit amazed, and Link nodded slightly in agreement. Me neither… I think that was Hidden Power? I didn’t know Eevees could learn that move… But Amber kept her thoughts to herself, shaking her fur in an attempt to rid her fur of the rain water, but mostly to try and play it off.

“Eevee, eev?” I know, aren’t I awesome? She said, puffing out her chest; it was the first time the imp actually complimented her - well, at least she definitely took it as a compliment - and she was feeling more than a little prideful. The imp simply huffed as they continued walking across the rooftop. 

“Yeah, don’t get ahead of yourself little kitty; you still can’t deal with heights.” The imp huffed as she crossed her arms, sitting up straighter on top of Link. Amber rolled her eyes as she padded along after the larger wolf. Luckily the walk across the roofs was uneventful save for the nerve wracking glances Amber accidentally had by looking down, realizing she could very well take a single misstep and tumble right over the roof. Um, yeah, let’s NOT think about that. She continued on the rest of the way, if just slightly more careful about where she steps.

“In there,” the imp said. Amber looked up and saw they finally made it to the edge of the tower, and luckily there was what looked like a side door, but to reach it… 

“Eevee!” I can do it on my own! She whined as she felt the now familiar feel of Link picked her up by her scruff, struggling for only a moment before just giving up. She huffed grumpily as she dangled in his strong but gentle hold. To her surprise, she more felt than heard a soft rumble from Link, and she glared when she realized he was chuckling at her. She just growled under her breath in response as he easily climbed the admittedly tall steps and into the shadowy doorway. I’m turning back human first chance I get, and I’m NEVER turning back into an Eevee! She grumbled in frustration as he carried into the short passage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so they FINALLY made it to the tower! Yay! :3 (This story is probably never going to end! XP) Anyways, realistically, as NaNoWriMo nears, I will probably again work on this story for NaNoWriMo, maybe make it to at LEAST Lake Lanayru, maybe past that if I'm focused enough! (No promises, I'm in the midst of senior year and I barely have any time anymore. XP) Anyways, hope you all enjoyed, and sorry once again!


	17. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amber and Link finally reach the tower to meet the person the mysterious imp wants them to meet...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Another update so soon?" Yup! I actually managed to get this one done really quickly thanks to motivation and inspiration! :D
> 
> Anyways, I was asked several questions that I (think, at least) answered already, but just in case here are a few things I'll point out:
> 
> 1) Amber has no idea what Hyrule is, who Link/Zelda are, etc.; she IS from the world of Pokemon, after all! That being said, I think we can forgive her for being absolutely clueless as to what is going is on. :3
> 
> 2) Yes, Zero, the Ditto is a 'he'; the only reason I did that is mainly because A: he's based off of a Ditto I had in my own Red game and I always thought Ditto would be a guy and B: I just really don't like calling people/animals/whatever 'they' because my inner grammar police says 'they' is plural; I have nothing against gender neutral pronouns, but for the sake of grammar... yeah, plural doesn't equal singular in my brain, sorry. :P
> 
> 3) Yes, I will, when I think it's necessary (like right now), basically directly quote the game. No, it won't happen the entire time, but for times like this when we're at major events, unless I deem otherwise, I'll probably quote the game mostly to make my life easier.
> 
> So... yeah, if you hope you enjoy? Anyways, here's the next part!

The passage was short and because how little light there really was, there was little way of knowing how long it was. Amber sucked in her breath, however, when Link suddenly jumped down from the dark passage onto a stairway that was quite a few feet below. Who puts a door..? If I ever find out who built this place, I have more than few things to say them! 

From what she could see, the stairs ran around the inside of the tower in a close spiral, and she could barely make out a closed wooden door to the right, but the left was too out of sight. Sconces were lined high up on the walls in the spiral, casting flickering shadows along the curved walls. Deep, iron-barred cut holes in the walls served as small windows, set in between each sconce, the rain causing an eerie yet subtle thrumming from outside.

The imp simply motioned upwards, and before she could ask to be put down, Link quickly ran up the stairs, Amber dangling helplessly in his maw. You could at least put me down to walk up the stairs! Luckily the race up the stairs was short as she saw double-set doors come around the corner, two sconces set on either side of them. Slowing to walk, Amber glanced up at the incredibly tall doors. No, it’s only because I’m an Eevee now… She frowned a bit, again feeling a bit down, but she quickly forgot the feeling when Link padded into the room.

The first thing she noticed was the light. Golden-hued light from outside poured in from what Amber could guess to be a large, balcony-like window. It seemed the room was a bedroom, the entire room made of stone with a simple canopy bed to the left and a few chairs and bedside-tables. The next thing she immediately noticed was the figure standing in front of the window. Immediately on guard, Amber tensed when Link set her onto the ground. Taking a step forward, easily stepping over the Eevee, he bared his teeth at the shadow. Amber was sure he was going to attack the figure; that was, until it turned around. ...Huh? A… Person? Amber blinked up in confusion as Link also relaxed, and it wasn’t until the imp giggled at their reactions that she realized it was the figure she wanted them to meet. But who is this person? 

“...Midna?” I wasn’t expecting that… To Amber’s astonishment, the figure, face in shadow from the cloak, was not only soft-spoken but also… graceful and regal, like as if… as if she was royalty. The imp giggled again above Amber where she guessed she remained seated on Link’s back.

“Heh, you remember me? Such a honor…” Is she being sarcastic or…? Amber frowned, not really being able to tell what ‘Midna’ feels from the ever-present sarcasm in her voice. But it must really be something that never changes or the person has far too much patience; either way, the figure simply seemed to ignore the imp’s tone as Amber felt her heart skip a beat when the figure looked down at both she and Link.

“Are these two the ones you were looking for? It never occurred to me there were two…” Two? Two what? And how does she know we were people before? Amber frowned when the figure spoke of both herself and Link.

“Neither of them are what I had in mind, but I guess they’ll do, but my guess is as good as yours as why there’s two.” So, Midna DOES know about us getting transformed and getting captured, but why keep it from us? And does this person know about our being captured? Amber, both perplexed and wary took a step back further into Link’s shadow when the figure bent down to their level. 

“...You were imprisoned?” Amber blinked in surprise at her tone when she saw the prison cuffs still on Link’s foreleg and her back ankle; she sounded so apologetic and sad. She paused for a moment, seeming to bow her head. “I am sorry.” Sorry? But she doesn’t seem to be capable of doing something like this.

“The poor things, they don’t know where they are or what’s happened. So, don’t you think you should explain to them what you’ve managed to do? Twilight Princess,” Midna added with what Amber could easily imagine to be a cheeky grin. Twilight Princess? Amber pondered it for a moment, but she was more eager to hear an explanation than anything. Feeling LInk shift, she quickly stepped forward for a better place to watch and listen as the person began.

“...Listen carefully. This was once the land where the power of the gods was said to sleep. This land was once the Kingdom of Hyrule.” Hyrule? She was tempted to ask, but knowing that she probably wasn’t going to be understood she kept her mouth shut as the figure continued on. “But that blessed kingdom has been transformed by the King that rules the Twilight; it has been turned into a world of shadows, ruled by creatures that shun the light.” Transfixed in her speech, Amber could only listen as she told her tale.

“The Princess of this land, she knew the King of the Twilight was near; she knew she could not win, yet she clung to hope as she and her guardsmen set the final defense in the depths of her castle, the Throne Room.

Even so, despite the castle’s defenses and greatest, the King of the Twilight soon came upon the great hall’s door. Knowing there was no way out, she and her guards took up sword and shield, preparing for their final confrontment. 

It ended as swiftly as it had begun. The guards, valiant in their attempt, in vain attacked the vestiges of the beings who rule the Twilight, beings of shadow and dusk. The Princess, unable to leave and abandon her captured guardsmen and people, could only watch in frustration of her inability to protect her people, and fear of what will become of them.

The King of those thrive in Twilight gave the Princess a choice; to surrender or die.

A question posed for all people of Hyrule, and the Princess knew it was over then; no, she knew it was over before it began. Not willing to put her people through any more death and pain, she let down her sword.

Twilight now ruled over the Kingdom of Light. 

Twilight covered Hyrule like a shroud, and without Light the people became as spirits. Within the Twilight, they live on, unaware they have passed onto spirits.

All the people know now is fear… Fear of a nameless evil…”

Amber was completely bewitched, unable to believe such a fantastical story and yet she heard nothing but what the person said to be pure truth. Even though Amber just met this person, she couldn’t help but want to believe everything this person said...

“The kingdom, succumbed to twilight, but I remain its princess.” What? Amber stared in awe as the person lifted her hands, revealing surprisingly slender and graceful hands for such a dark visage, and lifting the hood from her face Amber blinked in surprise. “I am Zelda.”

She’s the princess? Amber could have easily guessed a baroness or some high standing, but it came as quite a surprise for her that the person in front of her was the princess, no less than the princess of such an incredible tale. Amber could tell it also came as a surprise to Link as she felt him shift onto his haunches behind her. Though, it does make sense… Amber could easily see the royalty in her.

Princess Zelda was incredibly fair and beautiful, almost angelic in her poise. Her soft tawny hair was braided with a beautiful, no doubt pure gold circlet upon her head. She had simple yet elegant earrings on her pointed ears, a contrasting silver that was remarkably pretty. But the most noticeable part about her were her eyes; even in the shallow light coming from the large, balcony window behind her Amber was drawn to the blues of her eyes, the depthness and will that surround them. Almost like Link’s eyes, yet hers are more… deep… Midna interrupted her thoughts.

“You don’t have to looks so sad, you know! I mean, is perpetual Twilight really all that bad?” Perpetual Twilight? Without a single sunny day or moonlit night? Once the prospect set in, Amber glancing out the eternally golden-hued darkness outside the window, she instantly decided no, she would not want to live like that. And it seemed she wasn’t the only one who thought that way.

“Midna… This is no time for levity. The shadow beasts have been searching far and wide for you. Why is this?” Princess Zelda softly questioned her. When Link shifted a few steps, Amber glanced up to see the imp float up above them, her head on her arm and turned away from the princess. Shadow beasts? 

“Why indeed? You tell me,” Midna simply responded with a shrug, chuckling, but Amber detected a hint of… fear? Or frustration? Did she turn away so as not to look into the princess’ eyes? Because Amber definitely could tell it would be hard to talk when she had such an intense stare. It seemed the Princess was indeed either unnormally patient or very used to the imp’s comedic personality as she turned back to Amber and Link. 

“Time has grown short. The guard will soon be making his rounds; you must quickly leave before he returns.” A guard? But wouldn’t it be better if she came with us? The Princess had grown on Amber; though she had just met her, literally, Amber couldn’t help but trust the Princess. But before she could comment on anything, she felt Link grab her by her scruff and turned to go back the way they came. In the moment right before Link blocked her view, she saw Zelda watching them go, a powerful mix of sadness and hope in her blue eyes. A gaze of renewed hope…

Amber squeezed her eyes when she suddenly felt Link to jerk to a halt as he raced down the stairs, Amber swinging hard in his grasp as result. When she opened her eyes, she saw and heard a door at the bottom of the stairs swing open, dusk light flooding in. The guard’s coming already! The Eevee thought in a panic.

“Boy, he’s prompt!” Midna said, making Amber squirm even more, Link having to tighten his grasp on her a bit to keep her from being dropped. What are we going to do! We’ll be caught at this rate and thrown right back into the prison! Or worse! Though she didn’t want to think about ‘worse’. 

“Up there!” Link looking to their right, Amber glanced up and could see the same door they came from to originally get into the tower. Midna flew up to it, waving down at the two. Amber glanced up at Link as he walked up a few steps, his eyes glued to the imp. There’s no way he can- but her thoughts were cut off as he sprang forward with as much energy as he could, and with Amber giving off a loud squeak he landed, hard, onto the doorway just as footsteps could be heard walking up the stairway. Without another thought, Link set Amber down and the three of them raced through the short passage towards the golden light at the end. 

As they came to the exit, Amber slowed to a stop beside Link, gazing out with a new outlook now that she knew where they were and that it wasn’t always like this, and she could tell from Link’s eyes he was also rethinking their situation. Was this place really once not like this? Amber couldn’t help feeling sad when she thought about it; from Princess Zelda’s and Midna’s reactions, and from a glance at Link’s deep eyes, she could tell it really wasn’t like this before. 

All of the people here are ghosts… Because there’s no Light? As someone who loved light and spending her time in the forest on sunny days, Amber felt deep sympathy for the people who lived there. She gazed outside into the falling rain, feeling a bit for forlorn, before a soft growl was heard from next to her. Glancing leftwards, she saw Link crouch to the ground, glancing at her with his blue eyes. Getting his message, she heaved herself up onto his back as he stood up, jumping down softly from the doorway before padding over after Midna who seemed to be in thought in the middle of the roof.

“Well, do you know where we are?” She said, spinning towards us with her same mischievous smile and chuckle. Amber took the imp’s comment with a grain of salt, but Link clearly wasn’t as in a patient mood; when the Eevee glance up, she was surprised when she saw him with a fairly angry glare at the imp. Instead of getting upset, Midna just grinned wider at Link’s expression.

“Well, I guess a promise is a promise, so I’ll take you two back to where you guys entered the Twilight… But, are you sure you want to go?” Amber paused, frowning and tilting her head. Well, of course, right? “Are you sure you two aren’t forgetting something important?” Something important? Before she could ask, Midna spun, and to Amber's shock turned into a perfect form of Ilia, Colin, and Zero. Everyone! Amber instantly felt guilt for forgetting about them, and from Link’s gasp - if it could be called that - he also temporarily forgot them. Midna simply giggled at their reactions, but Amber found it disconcerting to hear Midna’s voice from what looked like Ilia’s body.

“Do you want to save them? Well, in that case little Midna would be more than happy to help you!” Amber huffed, stepping up next to Link as he continued to stare her down.

“Eevee eev?” But what do you want from us? Amber already knew by now that dealing with the imp only worked if she got something out of it as well, and truth be honest she was beginning to get tired of the imp’s consistent mockery. But more than anything, she was feeling to mentally worn to honestly care anymore. I know I’m not the most patient person ever, but still…

“Well, you two would have to be my little servants! And like good servants, you’d have to listen to everything I say.” Don’t we kind of already do that? But the Eevee kept her mouth as she wanted to help others and return to normal as quickly as possible. 

“Why don’t you go back and give it some thought?” Midna said with a knowing smile, and Amber felt again that strange weightlessness she felt before. Realizing what it was, she squeezed her eyes shut as the feeling lasted for a few moments. Before she realized, she felt… water? Opening her eyes, Amber quickly realized why. She was standing in a pool of water in the midst of woods, the sun startlingly bright but oh so welcomed, nearly setting behind her. We’re back to the beginning?

“Oh, that’s right; I forgot to mention one thing.” Amber glanced up, expecting to see the imp sitting on Link’s back, but both she and Link were surprised as Midna wasn’t there. She’s gone! She and Link looked all around, but the imp just seemingly turned invisible.

“Though you may have left the Twilight realm, you two are still in your beast forms, and you won’t transform back any time soon! Now, I wonder why that is?” What? We can’t turn back? Amber was beginning to feel a bit panicked again; how on earth was she going to go help everyone and get home if she was stuck as an Eevee even after they made it out of the Twilight? Midna just giggle, her voice seeming to come from every direction. 

“See you later!” And with that, Amber and Link were left standing in the pool of water, stuck in their beastal forms with no idea what to do. Or at least, Amber certainly didn’t know what to do… I really wish I was home right now!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned, Amber has no idea what's going on nor what all this is about, so I can imagine her being utterly shocked at finding all this crazy information out and being like 'WOAH IT'S LIKE A STORY' or something like that. (Because let's be honest, if you had no idea what Hyrule is or anything and were in her position, I'm pretty sure you would have your mind blown too)
> 
> Anyways, sorry it was so short! (Either make it short or make it really, REALLY long) And YAY MIDNA GOT HER NAME FINALLY! XD
> 
> If anyone has any more questions, comments, whatever, just let me know! ^^ (Though no promises I'll answer them; spoilers are a no-no~ ;3)


	18. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They find out where the shield is, but Amber decides to take matters into her own paws...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, chapter 17! And it didn't take too long this time around. :3 Just heads up, I will actually be writing a new story (not a Fanfic) for NaNo this year, but I may work on this story to keep my creativity flowing, just be aware the next update might not happen in a while depending on how things go.
> 
> Anyways, things are begin to split off of the game's storyline here, just saying. Here's the next part!

“Eevee?” What should we do now? Amber glanced at Link, hoping he knew; she definitely didn’t. He glanced around the poo, seeming to be in thought, and she just looked down at her wavering reflection in the lapping water. If I remember correctly… I can only go home if I fix the Light, Time, and Space? Or I think that’s what the strange being said… Though she knew it happened… what, a few days? It still felt like a lifetime ago when she woke up in this strange land, now here she was, stuck as an Eevee with someone she barely knows who was turned into a beast, and a mischievous imp she honestly can’t decide if she’s to be trusted or not. All because she fell off a cliff. I really miss Zero and the others… I hope the egg is okay… I wonder if anyone at work is worried about me…? Probably not, but... Amber just stood there, staring at the brown-fur covered reflection looking back at her, ears drooping, and so clearly small and frail compared to her grey-furred companion. Why am I here?

“Grrr…” Amber… The Eevee glanced up into the blue eyes of Link. He seemed to consider something as he held her eyes for a moment, but then he leaned in. Is he going to bite me?! Amber squeezed her eyes shut, not sure what to expect, but instead of getting hurt she felt… huh? Amber blinked open her eyes, only to see and feel Link giving her soft lick on her forehead. He pulled back, a soft gaze in his eyes, before walking off towards the entrance of the small grotto, the Eevee staring after him. 

Was he… trying to comfort me? Even if his method of cheering her up was a bit strange, Amber felt her chest warm all the same, knowing she wasn’t completely alone. At least I have a friend; even if that friend says very few words. As she trotted after him who was waiting by the open gate to the spring, her mind momentarily thought of Midna. Hm… I think I can count her as a friend? Though she does really get on my nerves sometimes… Shrugging her thoughts off, she followed Link as he walked out of the spring, looking down each path in thought. Maybe we should head back to the deeper part of the woods first? Or maybe back to Link’s house for supplies? But we’re still like this, hm... 

“Hey! So… do you two know what you’re going to do now?” Amber jumped when Midna's voice suddenly broke the quiet. Where is she? Amber looked around but no avail; that was, until she almost had a heart-attack when she saw Link’s shadow move. Amber jumped what she felt to be several meters backwards, her heart in her throat as Midna literally formed out of Link’s shadow, giggling at her reaction.

“Aw, did Ms. Kitty get scared?” Amber felt her face burn a bit in embarrassment as the imp chuckled even more. 

“Ee-eevee vee, eevee eev.” I-I wasn’t scared, I was just surprised is all. Amber said as she tried to maintain a bit of her dignity. She shook her fur in feigned nonchalance before looking at Midna curiously once again. “Eev? Eevee?” And? What were you going to say?

“What I was going to say is that you two want to help your friends and turn back to normal, right? That means you have to go back to the woods where you two first wandered into the Twilight, but back then you got in because a Twilight being dragged you inside, and that’s not going to work a second time. You two will need help from someone from the Twilight… someone like me,” she said with a grin, hands on her hips. She’s from the Twilight? Amber had guessed it, but now that she said it... 

“I can help you two, but as my servants you need to listen to everything I say, and for a start… I want a sword and a shield; think you can get me those?” A sword and a shield? As in real ones? Amber frowned; the only ones she could think of were the ones Rusl and the Mayor had… “Well? Then get going! The longer you wait the more the Twilight will spread,” Midna added before disappearing back into Link’s shadow.

“Eevee?” I guess we’re going back to the village? Amber asked, looking to Link for confirmation. He simply gave a soft nod before making a brisk pace down the path, Amber scrambling to keep up. 

0o0o0o0

I really wish I was at least an Umbreon or something; Eevees’ legs are so short! Amber internally whined as she all but collapsed behind Link, panting hard. They had finally reached Link’s house and were now close to the village, but Link had stopped for what she hoped was a break. Dusk was setting now, and as the eerie hours of Twilight shadowed the world in golden hues, she couldn’t help but think of the Twilight that covered Hyrule. If it’s spreading… 

“Grr…” Amber looked up, suddenly surprised as Link growled and took stance. What is it? Amber peeked her head from behind him, only to see the same goblin things that had taken Talo before. How they got so close to the village? Amber was pretty sure they stayed away from the village, but she guessed she was wrong as the two of them looked around dumbly, grumbling unintelligible things as they lugged their large clubs around. Though when she was a human she had really no problem attacking them, now that she was so small… No, I’m an Eevee, and I even used Hidden Power! I can take them! She thought with a boost of confidence, taking stance beside Link.

Link attacked the first one, leaping into the air and knocking the goblin being back. Amber looked on in awe for a few moments as she was reminded how strong he really is. That was, until she heard an unsettling grunt coming from to her left. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the goblin. It… It looks much bigger than before. Amber thought a bit fearfully, for the goblin was a good two heads taller than her small body. Shaking the treacherous thought from her head, she concentrated on the goblin. Watch its movements, and concentrate…

It happened in a flash. Again, the tingling feeling deep inside her rose as she focused, but this time it felt different. Different? But Amber had no time to really think about it as the goblin-thing raised it’s club. Moving on instinct, she felt her body tense a bit before racing forward. Oh, this is… With a cry, she rammed the startled goblin right into it’s stomach at full force. The goblin staggered backwards a bit as Amber jumped a little backwards. That was… Tackle! I finally used Tackle! She brimmed with joy at finally being able to use the most basic move an Eevee can learn, not even really caring when Link attacked the goblin, bringing it down for good with a burst of black pixels. 

“Hey, we still have things to do, and by ‘we’ I mean ‘you’, you know.” Midna cut into Amber’s overjoyment. Amber practically pranced after the waiting wolf and imp, humming happily. I can use Hidden Power and Tackle? Maybe being an Eevee isn’t as bad as I thought! 

They quickly and silently traversed the small canyon-like passage towards the village, Amber quickly passed over her enjoyment as they neared the village, feeling a bit worried about the villagers she had made friends with only a few days before. If those bad… things are getting so close to the village, something must’ve happened. When they finally reached the arch of the village, Link slowed to a stop and crouched low, Amber beside him.

Unlike before, the village seemed so… empty, and it hurt Amber to see such a lively place now so lacking in life. Night had completely fallen, and the crescent moon only allowed very little light onto the darkened hollow, but even so Amber was grateful as she glanced at the star-speckled sky, surprising herself at how much she missed the stars. In a world of only twilight, you can’t see the stars. As she thought of all the soldiers and townspeople in Hyrule who live in Twilight and how they can never see a starry night or a morning sun made her feel… sad. All of this made her sad, and unexplainably determined. I… I want to help them. But before she could do anything, she had to return to normal and help her abducted friends.

“You two know this place better than I do, right? Remember, I want a sword and a shield, then I will help you get back into the Twilight,” Midna said as normal, causing Amber to wince and Link to growl softly at her loud voice cutting through the quiet of night. Amber glanced up at Link; he knew this village much better than she, after all. Link glanced down at her, then with nod forward, he quietly stalked forward, keeping to the shadows in case one of the villagers came by, Amber following close behind. 

...What happened to this place? The entire village looked the same as it had when she first came here, nothing really seemed out of place. The windows of the houses were dark, which she assumed was normal considering it was night. The breeze ruffled the soft leaves of the unusual tree-like houses, and she could hear the water trickling from the reservoir. In a few places, she could make out the flickering of fires - Torches? - but not a single person. But it feels so devoid of life. Almost as if all of the life had been sucked out of the very air… Oh, I know what’s missing… 

“Hey, you!” Amber practically jumped as she and Link whirled around in surprise. A… Sentret? No, wait, I’m not back in my world, but how is it talking? She just stared at it, bewildered, as it continued on. Link also relaxed a bit when he realized what had spoke, though he also eyed the squirrel in surprise. “You were the ones who took care of those bad guys, right? Thank you for that!” As Amber got over her initial shock, she took the moment to ask a few questions that had nagged at her. Though, first the obvious...

“Eev… Eevee?” You… You’re not afraid of us? She asked, eyeing the small creature. She only realized that, even though she can understand it, it might not be able to understand it, but she let it slide. This little creature is kind of similar to a Pokemon…

“I know you two aren’t bad because I can smell the woods of Ordon on both of you; a bit less on the fox, but you definitely don’t smell like those bad guys. They smell like poison, and bad stuff… But you two smell like trees and nature, so that’s why I knew you two were good.” I spend a lot of my time outside, so I guess that makes sense. The little creature looked around before glancing back at the duo. “Hey, I have to go as the woods have gotten a lot scarier at night lately, but I just thought to let you know there’s a lot of those guys running around, making a mess everywhere; they even kidnapped some of the village children… Anyways, you two better be careful!” 

“Vee-!... vee…” Wait-!... It’s gone… Amber said exasperatedly as the small creature disappeared back into the dark; she really wanted to ask about the children who got kidnapped. It can’t be that all of them were kidnapped? She glanced at Link who was growling softly under his breath, his eyes frowned in deep frustration. Link… For the upteempth time, Amber felt that sense of helplessness. I want to help him, no, I want to help all of them… but what can I do? 

“Grr….” Amber… Amber shook her head and followed him as he headed deeper into the village. I need to stop spacing out. She followed him as he slowly made his way through the village, glancing every once in awhile through the windows of the houses and shops they passed, but they were all dark, devoid of life. I wonder if he believed that furry creature? She also didn’t want to believe that the goblins had kidnapped all the children, but deep in her heart she knew the truth. 

Before long, Amber heard a couple of voices speaking in the darkness, and though she was on edge at first, she recognized them as the grown-ups of the village. Oh, maybe we can learn something from them! She thought excitedly, and it seemed as Link had the same idea as he padded quickly over to the nearest voice. She hesitated, however. But we’re still like this… I don’t know if it’s such a good idea to be seen by them. Even so, she was determined to learn something about what happened. 

Link had crossed a bridge, slowing down as he neared one of the torches. As Amber neared, she recognized Talo’s father and the mayor, but the watermill was making too much noise to make out what they were whispering about. Then I’ll just have to get closer. She glanced at Link who was crouching behind the only tree in the yard, clearly trying to strain to hear, but then she glanced down at her small body. Sneaking behind one of the pumpkins in the small garden, she eyed… The Mightyena-like creature; they have a pet, so maybe… A plan quickly formed in her mind, but she knew actually doing it was really risky… But they might know something we need to know about.

“Hey, kitty! What’re you think you’re doing?” Amber heard Midna harshly whisper, but she ignored the imp as she slowly made her way forward. Maybe I can try using that move… Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the firelight. The two older men immediately stopped talking as they went rigid, looking down at the Eevee. Curiously enough, their pet stood up from where he was laying, wagging his tail and clearly not afraid of her at all, but she ignored it as she focused on the two upset fathers. Here goes nothing…

“Eevee?” Amber said as cutely as she could, tilting her head and trying to give the sweetest look she could manage, even lifting a paw for extra effect. I think Attract works like this? Well, whatever she was doing seemed to work. 

“Aw, what a cute lil’ puppy!” The mayor said as he reached down, slightly startling Amber as she was picked up. Mr. Bo held the Eevee at arms length as both he and Mr. Jaggle, seeming to have forgotten what they were talking about, adoringly talked about her. I-I guess it worked a little too well! Amber thought as they continued to fawn over her, and she was more than a little at a loss as to what to do. It was only thanks to a soft howl in the distance - Link? - that finally caused the two of them to snap out of their adoration. 

“Oh, you still have the shield, right?” Shield? Though Amber was at first struggling a bit to be put down, she instantly relaxed as the mayor passed her so that Jaggle could hold her. 

“Uh, yeah, it should be in our storage loft,” he answered, nodding to the house with the watermill continuing churning beside it. Oh, maybe we can…? 

“Good, good grab it, and quick! Rusl got wounded pretty bad even though he had the sword, so I’ll take over for him,” the mayor quickly explained. Amber immediately felt guilt. Mr. Rusl got hurt while searching for the others? She naturally snuggled up in Talo’s father’s arms in a way to comfort him, but he seemed more concerned about what the mayor said.

“But mayor, you could be done for if you’re not careful!” He protested, and Amber almost nodded in agreement till she realized that most creatures here don’t do things like that. Yes, please don’t risk yourself! Ugh, if only I could tell him we’re going to save them… 

“I’ll be fine if you get the shield, and the sword we were goin’ to give to the royal family should still be at Rusl’s house,” he explained. A sword? Amber perked up a bit, her ears twitching as she continued to listen to them talk. She glanced for a moment into the dark, wondering where Link was, but even though she was an Eevee now the torches glare was too strong to see. I wonder if he went after the sword or shield… Though maybe we shouldn’t take them? After all, it would be bad if the goblins attacked again and they were all unarmed....

“...Alright, I understand, mayor. I’ll go inside and grab the shield.” Amber snapped back to the present as Talo’s father, with the Eevee still in his arm, opened the door and went inside. “I’ll grab a fish for a snack,” he said adoringly as he set her down and went further inside, rummaging through some baskets. She quickly glanced around at the inside of the house.

Though it was dark, the fire burned in a brick fireplace. From what she could tell, the entire house was a single story and mostly open, but she noticed that a few ladders let up to what looked like storage areas. The furniture was all hand-carved wood, hand-made rugs and tapestries covering the wooden and clay walls and ceilings. Pumpkins, jars, and farm tools were lined up along the walls and on shelves. Simply, but really homey, she decided, wondering for a moment if this what it would be like if she lived with a family… Shaking the thought off, she again looked around, trying to spy the thing she came in for. Where is it… There it is! She thought excitedly as she looked up at one of the lofts; hanging on the wall was a wooden shield, adorned with carving of what looked like something very similar to the strange, white creature she met in spring when she first arrived in this world. But… How do I get up there? 

“Here you go, eat up now!” The kindly father said as he set a few dead, raw fish onto the ground. Amber blanched when the smell hit her sensitive nose. Thanks, but no thanks. Either way, she tried her best to ignore the smell and the dead fish on the ground and gave him the best grateful look she can manage, wagging her tail to get the point across. 

“Aww, I’m glad you like it, too. Now, you stay here while I grab the shield and take it to the mayor,” he said as moved towards the ladder that lead up to the loft. I need to get it before he does! Amber panicked; she didn’t think about what to do now. She quickly looked around, wishing deeply that Link was there, but then she spotted something. Thinking fast, she ran towards one of the many shelves full of jars and equipment and prepared a weak Hidden Power attack. I’m really sorry about this, but… Suddenly, a really loud, crashing douns filled the house, startling Jaggle as he was climbing down the ladder, the wooden shield in hand. He was so startled, in fact, that he completely fell off of the ladder, looking around wildly. 

“M-monster! Run!” Amber padded out of the shadows as she watched him make a beeline for the door in a panic, leaving the shield on the ground. I feel really bad about doing this, but it was the only way I could think of… She thought a bit guiltily for scaring him like that and making a mess, making a note to do something nice for them later once all of this craziness was done with. 

Padding over to the shield, she was immediately struck by how well made it was. Hand-carved from a sturdy, tawny-colored wood, the shield was kite-shaped and larger than she was. It had a simple, thick etching outlining the edges of it, and a metal handle was attached to the back. The strange mythical-beast like carving was burned a deep brown into the wood, standing out really well. She admired it for a moment before realizing a problem; the fact it was bigger than she was. 

Um, how am I supposed to carry this? She knew it was going to be a bit bigger than her, but now that she was standing over it… Looking it over as it was front facing, she nudged underneath it’s curved edged and flipped it over like a Torkoal, exposing the metal handle and leather armband. Maybe I can drag it? She bit onto the handle and began to pull on it, but quickly found that wasn’t going to work. It was actually really light, by human standards, but not for an Eevee. Letting go, her teeth aching a tiny bit, she looked around. Maybe I can tie a string to the handle and pull it along like a sled? She thought that was a good plan, till she looked down at her paws. Right, no thumbs… And for the billionth time, she wished she was human again. 

“Well, look at you; you found the shield.” Amber glanced up as Midna and Link padded in through the open door. She smugly lifted her head, beaming at the imp’s impressed tone.

“Ee-vee eevee.” That’s right, and I did all myself. She knew it was a bit childish to say that, but she also knew that Midna didn’t give praise very often, so she took what she could get. Midna huffed, her shadowy form crossing her arms as Link nosed his head through the leather armband, barely able to fit his fur into it. 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Ms. Kitty; now come on, while you were having those guys oogle all over you me and Link found out where they were keeping that sword,” Midna said as she disappeared into Link’s shadow. Amber simply rolled her eyes half-heartedly as she followed the blue-eyed wolf out of the warm house and back into the cool night. As she followed them back into the village, she couldn’t help but hope that everyone was alright…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, shields and fish and... stuff! XD Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this! I suck at writing battle scenes and for Pokemon moves... Well, I tried my best, anyways. :P (Also, almost 4,000 words! Are you proud of me?~) Anyways, hope you all enjoyed it, and see you next time! ^^


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